Gregg’s deploys active fire prevention system at new facility
Iain Hoey
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Greggs, a UK-founded fast food service chain, deployed an active fire prevention system at its new deep-freeze high-bay warehouse at its factory near Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK.
The factory occupies 90,530 cubic metre, and the fire fire protection systems were provided by Wagner. Owing to the warehouse running several automated systems, there tends to be a higher risk of fire than traditional warehouses. This is due to the large amount of electrical equipment in the warehouse.
The high bay warehouse was difficult to protect by traditional methods due to the combination of its height, densely packed stored goods and deep-freeze operating temperature, Global Cold Chain News reported.
The automated high-bay warehouse stands at 23 metres tall and has a storage capacity with upwards of 14,000 pallet bays.
The warehouse is operated at -20°, where savoury baked goods will be stored frozen packaged in plastic trays or cardboard boxes, in both cases on wooden pallets. Something else, that had to be kept in mind: the warehouse is directly connected to the factory. If a fire occurs, it must not spread.
Gregg’s fire prevention system uses OxyReduct, that builds a protective atmosphere in the protected area with a permanently reduced oxygen level through the controlled introduction of nitrogen. This reduces the oxygen levels to prevent the spread of fires, taking the individual ignition thresholds of the most critical materials found in the warehouse into consideration. Sensors continuously measure the oxygen concentration in the protected area, working with the OxyControl system to maintain a constant oxygen operation concentration.
As a smouldering fire can still result despite oxygen reduction, the active fire prevention strategy also includes an early smoke detection system with air sampling smoke detectors.