Budget Waste Management

Very Early Warning was Critical

Budget Waste Management operates a waste removal, disposal and recycling service. It processes the waste it collects at its large waste processing facility in Worcestershire.

The company deals with a great variety of material, much of which is flammable. So the risk of fire is significant and the potential impact of a fire outbreak is extremely serious.

The Problem FireVu Solved

The video example here demonstrates just how easily fire can start in a waste processing warehouse, or any warehouse for that matter. The fire started as a result of an aerosol can contained within the waste being punctured during processing which then ignited.

The purple and green boxes that can be seen on the video show FireVu rapidly identifying the outbreak of fire. Crucially, FireVu spots the fire quickly because the Multi-detector can identify both the thermal output and visual flame. The Video Smoke Detection system is visual based, so it can detect fire much more quickly at source than systems which rely on an overall increase in ambient temperature, or physical contact with smoke or flame. Other systems will only detect if there is a substantial fire present, by which time a total loss is likely.

Early detection means remedial action can be taken quickly, before the fire has taken hold. In this case, an operator is able to stamp out the flames. Without early detection the entire warehouse could have gone up in flames within minutes.

The FireVu Solution

FireVu partner, Alert Systems, installed 7 Multi-detectors with an FV1 Annunciator within the warehouse to provide comprehensive coverage of the waste processing areas with associated control room alert functionality. Each FireVu solution is customised to meet the individual client need, and in this case study the detectors were placed in specifically identified strategic locations following consultation between the client and the FireVu team. The result is a very early warning fire detection system that gives Budget (and their insurers) peace of mind of knowing that if a fire breaks out, FireVu will alert them quickly.

How does FireVu Work?

High tech analytics software analyses video images from the FireVu detector to identify the presence of smoke, flame and heat at source, thus providing fast, accurate, very early warning. Furthermore, FireVu segments the field of view, significantly helping stakeholders to identify the origin point of the fire, aiding efforts to extinguish the threat. The system also provides sensitive calibration features which minimise the risk of false alarms.

Why does FireVu stand out in the industry?

FireVu offers a unique combination of features not available from other products on the market, including:

• Can ‘see’ flame colour, brightness and intensity (Planck’s Law) and signal the visually verified alarm in seconds *
• Works outside and in large voluminous spaces
• Unaffected by airflow or stratification
• Thermal detection** with two thresholds to detect heat build-up
• The visual of the smoke, flame and heat detection provides situational awareness to the owner/operator via FireVu annunciator and Enterprise ObserVer viewing software
• Can integrate to the alarm panel and also automate the shut down of systems

* within recommended field of view, **Multi-Detector version

Application Scenarios

As a visual-based system, FireVu can be applied in many, diverse scenarios. It can be effectively applied both indoors and outdoors; on the outside of buildings or in large atriums/warehouses.

Application areas include:

• High-Rise Buildings
• Waste Management Facilities
• Hotel lobby areas
• Retail outlets
• Schools
• Warehousing
• Industrial Production Line Facilities

Download the FireVu Multi-Detector datasheet.

[Thank you to Barry Holloway of Budget Waste Management for the use of this case study]