Allied Blower fire prevention and protection

Jan. 31, 2012 – When working with biomass and/or wood fibre, there is a
constant risk of fire spreading through the product and potentially
causing a great deal of damage and even loss of life.

Fire Protection for biomass and wood fibre conversion plants is
critical from several key standpoints:

1. Inadequate or malfunctioning fire protection systems can result in
production downtime.

2.Workplace safety concerns resulting from fire, deflagration or
explosions are very significant.

3.External insurers may increase insurance premiums or decline coverage
if fire protection is not appropriately addressed.

4. Financing for operations or planned capital expansion may not be
available if fire protection is not addressed.
Viz. National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) is the reference standard for
fire safety. The relevant sections are NFPA 61,68,69,91,654, and 664. More
information or a copy of the standards can be found at www.nfpa.org.

Employees and workers in biomass and wood fibre conversion plants/mills should always be mindful of the potential fire hazard.

Allied Blower & Sheet Metal Ltd’s five Canadian service centers specialize
in turnkey fire protection, dust collection, conveying  & HVAC systems, and offer several key
biomass refinery plant design-engineering tips:

1. Consider spark detection at the earliest
phase of dust system design. Fire protection equipment requires certain
features that are difficult to make allowance for after equipment selection and
equipment locations have been finalized.

2. Determine the likeliest sources of sparks and install spark
detection equipment as close to the source as possible.

3. By optimizing pipe sizing in the system for air volume and flow
allows for the most efficient selection and location of spark detection
equipment. For example, system velocity higher than required leads to greater
pipe length required for activation of protection devices.

For more pro-forma tips and fire protection audit check list
information for biomass, wood/biomass and wood-to-energy plants contact www.alliedblower.com
604-930-7000.