Since the dawn of humanity, and even long before, fire has been one of the greatest dangers. As reflected in the data from insurance companies and their customers, in recent years the fear of fire has diminished, both at individual and business level. The creation of a professional fire service and improvements in the design of buildings, machinery and equipment have undoubtedly helped to prevent and reduce damage. However, the figures in the report “Fire! Insurance and fires” produced by Estamos Seguros, the initiative to raise awareness of the social value of insurance launched by UNESPA (Spanish Association of Insurance and Reinsurance Companies), still serve as a reminder that we must not lower our guard.
This report gathers information on the approximately 103,000 incidents that occurred across Spain during 2018, with an associated cost of around 525 million euros, equivalent to 1.5 million euros per day.
More than three quarters of the incidents took place in private settings: 71.4% in homes and 11.4% in homeowners' communities. In both cases, the average cost of the damage was around €2,000. As for premises and shops, incidents accounted for 8.5% of the total, with an average damage cost of €3,000. The remaining 7.2% of incidents occurred in industry, with damage worth an average of €30,000. In absolute numbers, approximately 16,000 fires affected Spanish businesses, a figure equivalent to two fires every hour.
For a fire to start, the following three components must coincide in time:
If these conditions are met, a chain chemical reaction is triggered that affects the whole installation, and many people underestimate how quickly a smouldering fire can become an uncontrollable one.
The main cause of fires (around 25% of cases) in premises and industry originates in electrical faults, which may be caused by poor condition or poor insulation of equipment, overloaded lines and also incorrect handling by workers. It is therefore important to carry out regular checks of electrical appliances and installations, and to train staff in their use. Another aspect to bear in mind is that not only the company's own electrical devices, but also those “brought in from outside”, such as a simple mobile phone charger, can cause an incident. It would be advisable for the company to adopt clear rules on this.
Next (20%) come hot works, such as welding and oxy-cutting. In this case, poor preparation and inadequately implemented protection measures are often the cause of the fire. It is essential to stipulate protection measures during a risk assessment, which must include: the use of approved equipment, staff training and cleaning the area so that it is free of unnecessary and flammable items. For flammable objects that cannot be moved, it is advisable to cover them with non-flammable protective covers.
In third place are fires caused by poorly extinguished cigarettes and smoking in hazardous areas (20%). Here, employees must be aware of the consequences that smoking can have for the company in terms of fire protection in their daily work.
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Fires started deliberately by disgruntled former employees or acts of vandalism account for 15% of these incidents. Although it is difficult to protect against such misdeeds, there are precautions that should be observed in this context. The questions to ask are: Are the company's premises fenced off, if possible under video surveillance or with a security service contracted? Has thought been given to the safe storage of combustible materials outdoors? Are clear spaces maintained up to the outer wall? What vegetation is there around the building?
Other causes of fires are: high temperatures (9%), overheating (6%) and self-ignition (4%). In the case of high temperatures, typical of hot Spanish summer days, the situation is aggravated if the insulation of equipment or wiring is insufficient. Overheating is the term used to describe how they heat up beyond the intended temperature range. Any material can heat up if the heat generated is not dissipated sufficiently. This can lead to the material's own ignition temperature being reached, which in turn leads to spontaneous ignition. To avoid this, it is particularly important to maintain safety distances between flammable materials and the respective heat sources, such as solid-fuel systems or gas / oil heating systems.
In addition to these causes, fires are also caused by shortcomings in the maintenance of Fire Protection (FP) equipment.
These shortcomings may be due to:
Prefoc, part of Trablisa's fire prevention area, offers a wide variety of products and services related to fire prevention, detection and extinguishing, always integrated within the alarm system, guaranteeing a high level of protection and reliability. We are also an approved company for the maintenance of fire protection equipment, to ensure that such equipment is in good condition and is available and effective in the event of a fire.
A team of professionals, equipped with latest-generation materials and the most innovative technical equipment on the market, is one of the pillars of Trablisa. We undertake any installation of fire detection systems with every guarantee of success.
