Information File Issue 2

Oct 2015
Sprinkler Reliability BIF No 19

The myths surrounding automatic fire sprinklers are well This shows that where a fire in a sprinklered building was
understood in the sprinkler community who are active in large enough to activate them, wet sprinkler systems operated
publicly dispelling these with the support of the wider fire to control or extinguish fires in 93% of the cases. In the 7%
community. Perhaps one of the best ways to demonstrate the of cases where the sprinklers did not operate successfully, the
efficacy and reliability of sprinklers is to collect and publish following defects or incorrect actions were responsible:
information on real-life incidents showing what happens
when real fires take place in sprinklered premises.
System shut off at time of fire 66%

Testing Times Manual intervention (at time of fire) defeated system 16%

The current UK fire sprinkler1 standards, BSEN 12845 Lack of maintenance 10%
for industrial and commercial premises and BS9251 for
residential and domestic buildings require not only that Inappropriate system for fire 6%
sprinkler systems are properly designed and installed but
also that they use only components which are rigorously Damaged component 2%
scrutinised under test conditions to ensure that they are fit
for their intended purpose. Table 1: Reasons for Sprinkler Non-Operation (Hall:2009)
One key element of the testing entails analysis of the
components/systems under live fire conditions to ensure, From this data, it is clear that in virtually all cases where
as much as is possible, that they will perform as designed. a sprinkler system fails to operate as designed, this results
To ensure that each fire test is as similar as possible, and from some form of inappropriate human intervention.
that the data gained passes scrutiny, the fire test criteria are Arup Fire suggested that sprinklers would operate
stringently set and monitored against a range of conditions. successfully with a probability of 0.93. That is, 93% of the
Of course, real life fires, whether in the home or in time sprinklers will operate as designed. Nash and Young
businesses, do not follow a prescribed pattern of calorific (1991) quote several studies undertaken between 1897 and
content, flame propagation or heat release and so it is 1972, which suggest a range of reliability of between 85
valuable to record and study how fire suppression systems – 99.8%. The same text quotes a wide number of studies
perform away from the laboratory. To achieve this end it is which analysed the reasons for sprinkler failure that are
important to gain as much information as is possible when remarkably consistent with the 2009 NFPA data and the
automatic fire suppression systems have operated ‘in anger’ LFCDA data quoted below.
and to capture details of successes - and failures - so that test An analysis of sprinkler operations undertaken in 2005
laboratories (and the manufacturers who are their clients) by the London Fire Brigade details information on fires
can be certain that test criteria remain relevant. The data can in 163 sprinklered buildings that took place in London
also be used to lobby legislators and regulators for wider use between 1996 and 2005. The sprinklers failed to operate
of sprinklers. on 12 occasions. On a further 10 cases the sprinkler system
failed to contain the fire.
Sprinkler Reliability
Given that sprinklers have been around for more than 140
Total no of fires in sprinklered buildings 163 (100%)
years, a vast amount of knowledge and data have been
accumulated on the way they work and their effectiveness and Sprinklers fail to operate 12 (7.4%)
reliability. From this data, it is now widely accepted that where
systems are correctly designed, installed and maintained there Sprinklers fail to contain fire 10 (6.2%)
is a better than 99% chance of a sprinkler system controlling
or actually extinguishing a fire. Fire extinguished or controlled 141 (88%)
The most recent public domain data on sprinkler
reliability can be found in an NFPA publication, Hall (2013)2. Table 2: Sprinkler Effectiveness: LFCDA Study

1 Mist systems should be tested as a package as detailed in 3 ‘Shut-off’ in virtually all of these cases means that the system was
BS 8489-1 or BS 8458. isolated from its water supply, however provided.
2 Hall J. (2013) US Experience With Sprinklers and Other Automatic 4 Arup: Sprinklers for Safety, 2006, BASA, ISBN 0-9552628-0-1
Fire Extinguishing Equipment http://www.nfpa.org/research/ 5 Nash and Young, (1991) Automatic Sprinkler Systems for Fire
reports-and-statistics/fire-safety-equipment/us-experience- Protection p. 262: ISBN 0-947665-13-7
with-sprinklers

1
This data give an operational performance rate of >92% Fire crews searched the area of actuation and found a
and an effectiveness rate of >93%. The reasons for ‘failure’, small extinguished fire in a cupboard within an Art and
where determined, were reported to be: Technology classroom.
The cupboard contained a 12Kw kiln, able to run up
to 1300 degrees Celsius, which is used to fire class pottery
System off or disconnected 6 2
projects and fire had occurred involving some plastic trays
Fire took place in unsprinklered area 3 (BAFSA would which had been left on top of a kiln which had been switched
suggest that this
is not a sprinkler
on several hours earlier.
failure) The school, built in 2010 was fitted with a sprinkler
Insufficient heat to operate sprinklers 3 (This is also
system and a single sprinkler head, located inside the
probably not a system cupboard, had operated and extinguished the fire. No fire-
failure) fighting action was required and crews were then engaged in
Unspecified fault 1 ‘salvage’ operations.
Water supply failure 1
29th November 2014:
Table 3: Reasons for failure, LFCDA Study Humberside Factory sprinkler save

A fire is reported to have occurred at a Humberside facility

manufacturing mobile homes. The incident occurred just
Case Studies after 1500hrs on Saturday 29th November. Crews arrived
to find a large amount of smoke issuing from the building.
15th October 2014: Wisbech Children’s centre The fire involved a caravan located on a production line.
A fire in a bedroom was extinguished The sprinkler system activated and contained the fire to
last night (October 15) by a sprinkler an area of approximately 50m2. At this point the roof of the
system before fire crews arrived, caravan collapsed inwards, releasing a large amount of heat
minimising the damage of what and flame which travelled up to the roof space, and then
would have been a severe fire. horizontally across. This resulted in the further activation of
Two crews from Wisbech were approximately another 80 (eighty) sprinkler heads. Despite
called to a fire at an address in the the large number of operating heads, the sprinkler system
town at around 10.15pm. continued to function as designed.
The fire was out before crews The Fire and Rescue Service attended but it is understood
arrived and everyone had safely that the fire was controlled/ extinguished by the OH3
evacuated. Crews ensured the fire sprinkler system at the factory prior to their arrival. The
was fully extinguished and left result of the activation was that fire damage was limited and
around 11.10pm. confined. It was estimated that the production line would
Group Commander Chris Parker said: “This is a great be up and running approximately 1 week after the fire.
example of how a sprinkler system can reduce the damage A factory spokesperson was reported to be very gratified
caused by a fire. Had the building not been fitted with a that the system operated as intended and advised by FRS
sprinkler system, the fire would have caused significant that fire losses may well have been substantial were it not for
damage to this residential building, costing thousands of the sprinkler systems’ operation.
pounds and causing huge disruption and upset for those
living there.” 2nd December 2014:
“Not only do sprinklers save lives and prevent fire and Hotel’s sprinkler system
smoke damage, they use less than five per cent of the water prevents serious fire....
we would to extinguish a fire, so prevent significant water Sprinklers helped save a
damage too.” prestigious Park Lane hotel
from serious damage after a
11th November 2014: Sprinkler save at London school fire broke out in a bedroom
on the hotel’s 25th floor.
At about 20:23 on Tuesday 11th November, fire crews
One hundred people were
were called to an Automatic Fire Alarm actuating at a
evacuated from the hotel as a precaution but thanks to the
three storey Secondary School St Mary’s Road in Newham,
operation of the sprinklers system the fire was out by the
East London.
time the Brigade arrived and only a small part of one room
On arrival they were met by the school caretaker
was damaged. The Brigade was called at 1941 hrs and the
who had been about to secure the building when the fire
incident was over by 2102 hrs.
alarm actuated.
Praising the hotel’s good practice, London Fire Brigade
Deputy Assistant Commissioner Mark Andrews said:
“This fire highlights the clear benefits of sprinklers to
6 This is the same category as ‘shut-off’ in Table 1 businesses like the hotel industry. There is no doubt that

2
in this case the sprinkler system prevented a more serious The fire caused one upright sprinkler head on the mains
fire from spreading into other areas of the hotel and causing fed sprinkler system to operate and this suppressed the fire
thousands of pounds worth of damage. The fire successfully so that attending fire crews on the two pump attendance
activated the sprinklers and it was out before our crews arrived. (plus salvage pod) were able to extinguish using only a hose-
“As well as being potentially life-saving devices, sprinklers reel within 11 minutes of arrival.
help with business continuity by minimising disruption and It is reported that there were 100 persons in the shop at
allowing businesses to get back to normal as soon as possible.” the time of the incident, none of whom were injured. 45
persons are employed at the store.
18th May 2015: Charlton warehouse fire Although there was some disruption over the next two
days, damage was limited to about £1000 with the total
Ten fire engines and over 70 fire-fighters and officers were
stock value at the store being put at £900,000.
called to a fire in a large distribution warehouse on Lombard
Wall in Charlton this afternoon. The building is a largely
5th August 2015: Nottingham Joinery workshop save
un-compartmented structure of 1 and 2 floors measuring
240 by 100 meters, standing 20 meters high with a structure At around 15:45 hours on Wednesday 5th August 2015,
of steel frame construction, clad in sandwich panels. Notts F&RS mobilised two appliances to a report of fire in a
The fire, which started external to the building, damaged dust extraction unit at a joinery workshop in Catton Road,
six lorries and the exterior part of the warehouse while four Arnold, Nottingham.
people were assessed on the scene for smoke inhalation by Upon arrival the fire was located
London Ambulance Service. The distribution centre was inside the unit but in addition to
fitted with a sprinkler system which activated and this also deploying one hose-reel and one jet
helped reduce the impact of the blaze by preventing spread to cover the fire, it was noted that
into the main building.” the sprinkler system had operated.
Crew manager Zac Goodspeed
told Keith Rhodes that upon
arrival they found one sprinkler
head above the unit had been
set off and had prevented the fire from spreading to other
plant and materials. The unit was on fire internally and had
badly smoke logged the workshop but, because the fire was
contained, fire-fighters were able to extinguish it without
At its height, the fire produced plumes of smoke which too many problems.
could be seen for miles around. Businesses and residents in Owner Paul Jeffries told Keith that he didn’t realise the
the area were advised to keep doors and windows closed as a sprinkler system was live, but that it had saved his premises.
precaution and local road closures were put in place. London His main concern was now fulfilling customer orders.
City Airport tweeted during the incident to confirm that the The sprinkler system is reported to be very old and had
blaze was not impacting on flights. not been maintained for more than 15 years. It runs off the
Station Manager Bruce Grain who was at the scene said: town main but has no means of isolation and so Nationwide
“During its early stages this was a very intense fire. Crews wearing were called to isolate the system. The activation has caused
breathing apparatus attacked it extremely quickly and thanks some fractures in pipe-work which the owners seem now
to their efforts the fire was prevented from spreading any willing to deal with and reinstate the whole system.
further into the warehouse and causing even more damage. Fires in wood-working premises often take hold very
The Brigade was called at 1608 and the fire was under quickly, resulting in extensive fire spread and damage. The
control by 1829. Crews from Greenwich, East Greenwich, sprinkler system had prevented this from happening.
New Cross, Deptford, Plumstead, Lea Green, Poplar and
Shadwell fire stations attended the incident. Crews remained 15th September 2015:
at the scene for some time to damp down the fire. Woodbridge vulnerable person’s flat
The cause of the fire is under investigation but is believed On 15th September a fire occurred at a flat in a block of
to have started in one of the parked vehicles. 26 incorporated into a former ‘work house’ which had been
converted into flats in the Suffolk town of Woodbridge.
26th June 2015: Ayr department store loading bay
The vulnerable resident had been smoking in bed and then
Scottish FRS sources report that at just after 5:30pm on gone through to the kitchen
Sunday 26th June, a fire occurred in stacked waste cardboard where he had an epileptic
in an enclosed loading bay area at a department store in Ayr fit. The bed subsequently
High Street. caught fire due to smoking
The 3 storey, steel framed and brick construction materials. Nearby residents
building, consists of sales on ground floor and storage of were alerted to the fire by
stock on upper floors. The approximate footprint is 2140m2 the alarms. (both Smoke
x 3 = floor area of 6420m2. and Sprinklers)

3
 A single sprinkler head operated and fully extinguished It has been suggested by a number of groups that the
the fire before the Fire Brigade arrived. Fire Brigade personnel collection of the data may be flawed for a variety of reasons
had to break into the flat to gain access, finding the occupant including:
unconscious in the kitchen following his seizure.
• an error by the fire and rescue service personnel concerned
Although somewhat ‘shell shocked’, the occupier said he
to determine what type of fire suppression system in
was very pleased with the system as, without it, the situation
installed and whether it should have operated.
could have been much more serious due to his inability to
• whether the fire suppression system has been deactivated
escape the fire. He was also able to return to his flat following
- especially in former industrial buildings
the incident with minimal disruption.
• whether the fire suppression system was actually installed
Pleasingly, it was noted that the sprinkler installer
in the area where there was a fire
subsequently received an apology from the person who had
tried to talk the Housing Association out of ‘wasting their
money’ on fitting sprinklers into the scheme. Unreported incidents

It is also known that many incidents where sprinklers

Collating Sprinkler Information have activated, especially when only one head operates or
the system operates when the premises are unoccupied are
In 20117, Steve Mills, BAFSA’s Fire Service Coordinator, not reported to the fire and rescue service. In an effort to
started to collate sprinkler incident information received combat this loss of information, there is a growing trend
from the fire and rescue service or sprinkler installers. His for interested parties to share and record these incidents
data in 2014 show there were 76 incidents of sprinkler (without prejudicing data protection) and groups such as
interest, in a variety of premises types. At least one major BAFSA, the Chief Fire Officer’s Association, Sprinkler
incident, in Leicester on 7th August, involved a sprinkler Engineers Society, National Fire Sprinkler Network, the
system that had been decommissioned with the total loss Business Sprinkler Alliance and the Sprinkler Coordination
of the building and contents and major disruption to Group are working together to ensure that a fuller picture is
the local community and transport ensuing. Though the being produced.
reports threw up some anomalies concerning the number of CFOA have produced a Sprinkler Incident reporting pro
sprinkler heads which actuated (for example, in an incident forma which has been circulated to all FRS but can equally
involving a dust explosion) the majority of commercial be used by anyone with information about such incidents.
fires were controlled or extinguished with fewer than 4 This is available on the BAFSA website or from Steve Mills
heads while all the fires in dwellings were controlled by one at [email protected]
head only.
Presented by:
Reporting Sprinkler Incidents

Until recently, most UK fire information has been collected

from the fire and rescue services using the fire recording
system that until relatively recently used the ‘FDR1’ form.
The data contained in these was scanned and analysed by
the Department for Communities and Local Government
(CLG), being used to publish the Annual Fire reports. More
recently, this data has been captured electronically via the
‘IRS’ (Incident Recording System) and published in Fire
Statistics Great Britain 2010/2011,8 included, for the first
time, data on sprinkler effectiveness. A detailed study of
the data revealed there were major deviations between the
information reported and similar data collected by, for
example, London Fire Brigade, the FPA and the US NFPA.

7 In 2010 only 10 such sprinkler related incidents were

reported to BAFSA.
8 CLG November 2011: ISBN: 978-1-4098- 3235- 5

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