92

How Did That Happen? Engineering Safety and Reliability

Table 5.3 Typical industrial spacing (m)
Item

Office, laboratory
buildings, etc.

Process units

50

25

Stores with flammable

materials

25

25

15

Air intake and other

sources of ignition

25

25

Liquefied gas storage

50

25

25

25

Crude oil storage

50

25

25

25

Flammable liquid storage

tanks

50

25

25

25

Site boundary fence

15

25

15

5.3.2

60

60

60

Detection

Fire detectors
This is a design measure to reduce the risk from fire; early detection and
alarms allow people to escape. The linking of detection signals to the
automatic initiation of fixed fire fighting systems will prevent escalation.
In the use of detection systems the issue of reliability is paramount.
Initiation of fire fighting systems if there is not a fire is just as bad as if
the detection system fails to operate if there is a fire.
Detectors sense the effects of a fire according to smoke, heat and
radiation. They must be selected and positioned according to the type of
fire and flammable material at risk. The principle types and their features
are given in Table 5.4. As can be seen, there are many types available and
some judgement is needed in their selection. Each has its advantages and
disadvantages, and a mix and match may be needed, based on the type of
fire expected and the type of flammable material involved. The use of
diverse methods of detection will also improve the reliability of detection.
EN54 prescribes fire tests for testing the sensitivity of detectors to
different types of fires and classifies them with regard to their sensitivity.