Command & Control

Where there are sparks, there are fires

By Amelia Kwok | 26 February 2009

Fire has a nasty habit of raising hell in the electronics manufacturing industry. Amelia Kwok assesses the causes and the risks, and casts a critical over the fire control solutions market.

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Two years ago, tragedy struck an electronics factory in the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen, Guangdong province, when a fire claimed the lives of eight workers.

Fires in the electronics manufacturing sector (EMS) are alarmingly common. Mechanically generated sparks, electrically generated sparks, hot surfaces and exposed flames make for a hazardous environment.

The damage done is usually extensive. Physical damage to the factory and workers besides, a fire will usually mean a loss of working hours, disruption to the supply chain and an eye-watering insurance claim.

Jo Harrison-Ward, CEO at the Fire and Emergency Services Authority (FESA) in Western Australia, says that the EMS can be sub-divided by fire causes: soldering equipment (automated or manual), sparks from production activities (cutting and grinding of metal surfaces), faulty machinery, improper control measures and - last but not least - human error.

“Damage to equipment causes production downtime, which is probably one of the biggest blows to the EMS provider during a fire outbreak. This can affect the contract between the EMS provider and the client. It affects business continuity. Clients expect production and supplies to be delivered on time,” says Paul Leslie, Vertical Markets Development Manager for Asia Pacific, Xtralis.

Harrison-Ward at FESA says that the electronics manufacturing industry handles massive amounts of data associated with component part numbers, specifications, product design information, and customer and vendor relationships. Inventory tracking and timely delivery to customers have direct measurable impacts on an organisation’s bottom line. Any form of disruption is not good for business.

Emerging trends in privacy and information security mean that the industry’s databases and information systems are at significant risk should a fire occur. Network attacks and information losses, trends that are impacting all industries, are significant risks to the EMS supply chain too.

Leslie at Xtralis charts the fire risks within the EMS. “A number of fire risks are associated with equipment, machinery, switch rooms and plant areas. Basically, wherever there are switches. Given that typical point detection is inadequate in large open spaces with air movement, the same goes for areas with high airflow. Conventional detection has not been particularly helpful.”

Fire control measures have to be put in place in order to reduce or mitigate fire risks. To ensure that a fire safety scheme is both resilient and effective, both the passive and active systems are dovetailed through the introduction of a fire risk management plan. This involves all levels of an organisation operating to pre-determined and practiced emergency management plans.

Fire protection is designed and developed around the following practices. Passive fire protection involves elements that form the fabric of a building such as columns, beams, floor and wall construction, staircases and active fire protection measures. If a fire alights, systems are triggered to mitigate the effects of heat and smoke. These systems include sprinklers, flooding devices, fire alarms, emergency lighting, and smoke control measures.

“The installation of protection measures retrospectively is very expensive. Hence, all aspects of fire protection should be addressed at the planning phase of a project,” says FESA’s Harrison-Ward. A successful fire risk management plan takes into account all hazardous factors, allowing a scheme to be integrated with the existing passive and active systems.

Information, instruction, training and supervision will form the basis of any successful fire risk management strategy, insists Harrison-Ward. This in turn leads towards a culture in which employees have a greater degree of empowerment to improve health and safety issues in the workplace.

A schedule for planned preventative maintenance should also be introduced. “This will satisfy legislative requirements, ensure plant and equipment is serviceable, and maintain a level of compatibility during the manufacturing stages, thereby reducing the likelihood of a fire,” says Harrison-Ward.

An automatic fire detection system is possibly the single most important factor when assessing fire risk. Various types are available depending upon the size of the building, the building materials, occupant distribution, and the business function. This in turn may be linked to a sprinkler or another type of fire suppression system, depending on the risks involved.

A regime of workplace inspection is the most effective way to ensure regulatory compliance and continued fire safety, says Harrison-Ward. “Vigilance regarding housekeeping should be of a high standard at all times, particularly when discussing means of escape and material storage,” she says.

Buildings in different countries have varying fire protection stipulations, and satisfying a regulatory code does not guarantee the best form of protection. But the bigger issue is that gadget makers in most countries would rather channel their money where they can see the most value – production.

“The electronics industry often thinks the level of fire protection stipulated by the governing authority is adequate, which is often untrue,” says Leslie at Xtralis. “Point detection systems have done a good job in many areas. But technology changes. Many applications require specific attention and point detection does not necessarily have the capability to detect fire fast enough. Organisations need to reconsider their fire risks.”

In the context of the gloomy economy, EMS companies are looking to maximise their investment with a limited budget.

“There is no real budgetary formula for investment in fire prevention systems. It is a matter of assessing the risk, and determining how much one can afford and how much one stands to lose,” advises Leslie.

Harrison-Ward is confident that investment in fire control will not take a severe dip despite the economic crunch. “When organisations recognise the importance of fire protection, and appreciate the possible consequences, the industry will become more successful and sustainable.”