It’s important that the industry acts swiftly to minimise risks to sites, improve construction fire safety and more importantly, protect workers. The solution? Investment into wireless technology. Our Product Development Director, Bradley Markham, shares his thoughts.
There are around 11 construction fires every day[1] – it may seem like a small number, but in reality, that’s potentially hundreds of workers’ lives that are at risk every day.
In a recent 10-year period, statistics from insurance companies show that there were 108 major fires on construction sites, costing the insurers – and therefore costing construction companies around £187.3m.[2]
The law in the UK now stipulates that every business must have an appropriate fire detection system in place. Failure to comply could lead to serious fines or even worse – site closure, damaging the reputation of a business in its tracks.
Of all the fire safety products on the market, reliable fire alarms are the first critical step in alerting people of the danger and saving lives in the event of a fire. However, more companies need to switch to wireless technology if they want to enhance safety on site.
Wireless technology
Many companies are still choosing traditional wired fire safety equipment to protect their site but choosing a wireless fire alarm system has heaps of benefits:
- A flexible solution for multiple sites – Wireless fire alarm systems are particularly suited for construction sites and building complexes that are made up of multiple buildings. In the case of temporary installations, for instance, construction sites where the work is in progress, wireless fire alarms can be installed and then removed once the work on the site is finished, or moved to another site, providing a cost-effective and flexible solution to companies.
- Installation – While a hardwired fire alarm system can take days or weeks to install, a wireless device can be set up in just minutes, thus providing a cost-effective solution.
- Enhanced safety through less cables – The technology involved in modern wireless systems may be complex, but the concept is simple – automatic smoke or heat detectors trigger a response and sound an alarm to notify people of the danger. Using secure, licence-free radio communications to transmit information between sensors and detectors, and the control panel, wireless fire alarms provide all the benefits of traditional wired fire alarm systems but without the potentially hazardous cables, thus reducing slips, trips and falls on construction sites.
Revolutionising fire safety with wireless technology
Providing comprehensive fire safety protection through a fully linked network of detectors and call points, wireless fire alarm systems provide the most effective and safest solution for construction sites and workers. This way, we can ensure fire safety is at the front and centre of construction sites.
Our Cygnus Wireless Alarm System has been used on projects all over the world including Battersea Power Station, London’s Crossrail Tunnel project, Hinkley Point, Sydney metro rail project and Copenhagen’s science institute.
To meet customer and market demand, our Cygnus alarm system has been undergoing some upgrades and modifications which now include added functionality, improved battery life, better configuration software and a combined smoke and heat detector.
