Monday, April 22, 2013

Inspections of Fire Protection Systems Save Money


Jim Tomes, CEO of Telgian Corp., a fire and life safety services provider, says following inspection schedules for fire prevention systems protects not only a company’s employees and customers, but also its assets. He recently shared this concept in the presentation, “Strategies to Lower Costs While Maintaining Fire/Life Safety,” at the 2013 Professional Retail Store Maintenance Association national conference.


“We think taking a proactive approach to plan upgrades is the best approach,” Tomes says.

By neglecting to perform regular inspections and maintenance, companies often set themselves up for increased costs later on. When systems fail completely due to an impairment deficiency, immediate action is required, and to make repairs within 24 hours, a company will likely pay extra. However, if a routine inspection discovers a noncritical or even critical deficiency before it escalates into an impairment deficiency, the company can have the work performed at a regular hourly rate. Furthermore, for noncritical deficiencies, such as missing signage on or near the protection system, companies can elect to fix problems at a later date when funds are more readily available.

Telgian executives cite fire pumps as an example of how noncritical deficiencies can turn severe without regular inspections and maintenance. Many fire pumps use diesel engines, and weekly inspections include ensuring that the engine’s fuel tank is two-thirds full. If the tank is slightly less than two-thirds full, it may be considered a noncritical deficiency, but if maintenance is not performed and weekly inspections are not continued, each week more fuel will be used and eventually the supply will be too low to power the fire pump in the event of a fire.