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.