Insulation industry news from Global Insulation
UAE: Michel Francis, chief architect at DEC consultants, has recommended that ‘intensive’ inspections, including checking that insulation is properly installed, could help to prevent the spread of fire in high-rise buildings in Dubai. He pointed out that a fire could propagate rapidly if there were gaps between fire-resistant mineral–based insulation. Francis’ comments at the Windows, Doors and Facades Forum in Dubai were covered by the National newspaper.
"An inspector must look for these holes, see how the mineral wool is installed, the fixtures used, check for any intricate gaps between the intersection of slabs. An expert auditor would look to see if there are any loopholes. These locations and intersections, if well treated, will prevent the jumping of fire from one floor to the other and the whole facade catching fire. Fire containment would be much easier," said Francis.
New provisions in the local Fire and Life Safety code are due to be released later in 2016 requiring owners to renew a no-objection certificate annually after inspections to ensure all modifications are fire-safe. The changes in the regulations follow a string of fires in high-rise buildings in the city in the last few years.
Canada: An Owens Corning fiberglass insulation plant in Edmonton has been ordered to monitor its emissions following a fire in early January 2016. The fire on 4 January 2016 damaged the plant's secondary air scrubber on its insulation batting production line.
Without the second scrubber the plant is contravening its Environmental Protection and Enhancement Act approval. A remedial solution to replace the curing oven's secondary air scrubber could take more than six months to implement.
As part of an enforcement order Owens Corning must monitor and notify Alberta Environment and Parks of any significant deviation from normal performance of the primary air emission scrubber on the curing oven. If the plant exceeds any air emission limits then production must immediately stop. Additional monitoring on the curing oven stack, including manual stack surveys, and an approved ambient air-monitoring plan are also required.
Fire at Knauf Cwmbran insulation plant damages 24t of material
12 January 2016UK: Around 24t of insulation material was damaged in an overnight after a fire at Knauf Insulation factory in Croesyceiliog, Wales. Three crews of firefighters were called to the fire at 01:22. A spokeswoman for the fire service said the blaze was accidentally caused. The firefighters had put the fire out by 03:31.
Insulation plant catches fire in Kazakhstan
22 September 2015Kazakhstan: An insulation plant caught fire in Utegen Batir Village, Ili on 21 September 2015. Seven vehicles and 35 firefighters responded to combat the fire, which, according to preliminary data, encompassed a 1800m2 area.
Minimal damage from fire at insulation plant
09 October 2014
US: A fire was reported at Knauf Insulation’s insulation plant, which was formerly a Guardian Industries plant, in Albion, Michigan on 8 October 2014. According to local media, the fire started in one of the ovens and spread through the ducts to the smoke stack. Damage is thought to be minimal, although the equipment remains to be fully inspected.
US: A fire was reported at an Owens Corning insulation warehouse in Newark, Ohio on 14 August 2013. According to the Newark Advocate, a fire broke out in the building materials producer's No. 77 warehouse containing bales of insulation.
Chuck Hartlage, senior communications leader at Owens Corning, confirmed that 30 employees were working in the building at the time and left the site safely. Production in the pipe insulation and mineral wool insulation plants was unaffected. Loading the operation in the main warehouse resumed on the same day. No cause for the fire has been found.
Fire at insulation facility in Auckland
16 January 2012New Zealand: A fire at an insulation storage building in the Auckland suburb of Onehunga on New Zealand's North Island has been brought under control by fire fighters with a total of 15 fire engines. No one was seriously injured at the facility, operated by Textile Products.
The fire service said that it was called to the incident at about 11:00 on the morning of 16 January 2012. The ambulance service reported that it had treated five people for minor injuries. The cause of the fire is not yet known.
Fire Service incident controller Brian Edwards said there was a possibility the smoke and fumes could be toxic. "We will have to decontaminate some of the firefighters," he said. Edwards also said that there had been fears that the fire may spread to an adjacent chemical waste facility, but this did not happen. One fire engine was kept at the scene overnight.