Today we'll be covering a very important subject in our industry: fire suppression for tunnel construction, maintenance and repair.

As a critical aspect of the global modern infrastructure development – of which the UK is no exception, tunnelling provides efficient transportation routes, water supply systems, and other essential utilities. But the construction of these infrastructures bear very specific challenges due to their underground nature.

As of 2019, the British Standards Institution (BSI) had issued the British Standard (BS) 6164:2019, with guidelines on how to keep tunnel construction settings safe. Coming into effect on 31 October 2019, this British Standard is a full revision of the now-superseded BS 6164:2011 with regards to health and safety in tunnelling in the construction industry.

So it is well acknowledged that building tunnels, whether in the UK or anywhere else in the world, is not an easy task, requiring complex and sophisticated engineering processes, demanding logistics and, more so because of the very specific limitations in terms of space, involving big safety risks. And the risk of fires is one of the most dangerous aspects of it, as there’s a significant presence of vehicles in these settings, aiding the personnel at work.

The possibility of one of these vehicles catching fire is more likely to happen than one might imagine, and in the confined environment typical of tunnels, it can be extremely difficult to escape from the smoke and flames.

Fire suppression for tunnel construction is exactly one of the topics in BS 6164:2019. The presence of the heat generated by the vehicles, and the fuel they use, combined with oxygen make it likely for a fire to happen. A leak, with an accumulation of  excess debris or an electrical failure in one of the vehicles is all it takes for a fire to start.

A fire in a tunnel construction site can be potentially catastrophic, resulting in loss of life, extensive plant and property damage, and significant disruption to daily operations.

Smoke inhalation causes more deaths than flames and an accumulation of it poses respiratory hazards. This can further complicate evacuation efforts, and traditional firefighting methods may prove inadequate in this scenario due to restricted access and limited visibility.

So how can we ensure that a catastrophe does not take place? That we can follow and comply with industry standards in this regard? That every worker can go back home to their families at the end of the day and return to work the following morning unscathed?

To address these challenges and effectively mitigate this peril, Fireward emerges with its market leading solution in fire suppression for the machinery used in tunnel construction. Offering cutting-edge technology and unparalleled expertise in safeguarding the integrity of all the assets and personnel employed in these projects.

Why Fireward Fire Suppression?

As an industry-leading fire suppression solutions provider, we at Fireward have invested years of research and development to create tailored systems that address the unique requirements of the vehicles employed in tunnel construction projects. With a proven track record of successful installations, Fireward has established itself as a go-to partner for fire suppression used in tunnel construction as well as all kinds of on and off-road vehicles for multiple industries and sectors.

Our engineers are experts in tailoring our vehicle fire suppression systems and suppressants to the requirements of any machinery used in construction sites, which allows teams to work without being constantly worried about the danger of a fortuitous fuel leak or an electrical fault (known to be the main causes of fires in this setting) in the tunnel construction site.

Our fire suppression systems for vehicles employed in tunnel construction feature:

24/7 Fire Protection: Our systems are operational 24/7, 365 days a year, with no manual intervention or power required to give you complete peace of mind. 

Ultra-Fast Fire Detection and Quick Response: Time is of the essence during a fire emergency and our systems are engineered to provide a rapid response, deploying suppression agents within seconds of fire detection. The fire never reaches its full potential with the swift action of our systems. 

3 Year Warranty: We offer a market leading 3 year full parts & labour warranty as standard.

Full Accreditation: Our systems are third-party certified to P-Mark SPCR183, P-Mark SPCR199 and AS-5062:2016, so you can rest assured you have the best-rated systems in the industry.

Additional Safety Features: Every eventuality is covered with in-cab monitoring, battery isolation, machine shutdown and manual actuators.

Cutting-Edge Suppression Technology: We employ state-of-the-art fire suppression technology, utilising advanced agents and innovative delivery mechanisms to swiftly control and extinguish fires. These systems are engineered to detect fires early, react quickly, and effectively suppress flames, minimising potential damage and maximising safety.

Sustainability and Environmental Responsibility: We are a company who is committed to environmental responsibility and offer eco-friendly fire suppression agents. These are non-toxic and leave no residue after activation, making them safe for tunnel users and minimising the ecological impact in the event of a fire.

Expert Consultation: Our team of experienced fire safety experts have installed and worked on fire suppression systems on vehicles involved in tunnel construction operations. This ensures that our solutions can meet the specific needs and risks of each vehicle.

24/7 Support and Maintenance: We provide round-the-clock support and maintenance services to ensure the fire suppression systems are always functioning optimally.

Dual Agent Configuration

Reacton® automatic fire suppression systems designed for vehicles will commonly feature the Dual Agent configuration.

In the case of vehicles designed for or involved in tunnel construction, it's no different.

A simple way of protecting your investment and saving lives in these settings is to provide an on-board vehicle automatic fire suppression system in the Dual Agent configuration, made up of both a Dry Powder and Wet Chemical system.

Not only will it provide rapid fire knockdown, minimising fire damage and downtime, but it will also protect those superheated surfaces from reigniting. This Dual Agent configuration offers significant advantages to single agent extinguishing mediums, especially when compared to just Wet Chemical systems, where it can offer a 40% reduction in our automatic fire suppression system size.

At The End Of The Day, Fireward's The Right Partner For Your Safety

As you can see, Fireward Fire Suppression stands as a pillar of safety for combustion engine vehicles employed in tunnelling projects.

With our cutting-edge technology, rapid response time, and expert team, we ensure that tunnel construction remains a secure environment for all users and assets. 

Choosing us as the fire suppression partner in your tunnel construction project is a wise investment in its safety.

Protecting People and Assets 24/7

To find out more about Fireward’s Automatic Fire Suppression systems, get in touch by calling 0800 151 0249 or email at: sales@fireward.co.uk.