Inspection, testing and maintenance of fire protection systems at industrial plants

Every year, fire supprersion system fail to operate satisfactorily in fire situations. In about one‐third of these cases, the cause is inadequate inspection, testing and maintenance. An Edison Electrical Institute (EEI) study found that 49 percent of gaseous suppression systems in combustion turbine units failed to operate satisfactorily in a 2O‐year period, with a total property damage of $15.9 million. An example of a fire with a tragic consequence involved lube oil at a cogeneration plant on Christmas Day in 1992, which resulted in the death af three plant operators. Automatic sprinkler protection was provided for most of the plant, including lube oil hazard, but the systems had been turned off. Had the system been operational, the fire may have been controlled.