1. What are the factory fire protection system regulations?

          Factory fire prevention regulations are mandatory requirements set out to limit the serious consequences caused by explosions and fires to people and business assets. Any business in Vietnam, no matter how large or small, needs to be aware of the importance of investing in a factory fire protection system. 

          To ensure the factory design meets fire prevention and fighting standards, business owners need to clearly understand the fire prevention and fighting regulations for factories, manufacturing plants, etc. Below are some regulations on fire prevention and fighting. Factory fire prevention that businesses need to focus on:

• QCVN 06: 2010/BXD: National technical regulations on fire safety for houses and buildings.
• QCVN 08: 2009/BXD: National technical regulations for urban underground works.
• Vietnamese Standard TCVN 2622 – 1995: Standards on fire prevention and protection for houses and buildings - design requirements.
• Vietnamese Standard TCVN 3890 – 2009:  Regulations on equipment and basic requirements for the arrangement, inspection and maintenance of fire protection equipment for houses and buildings.
• Vietnamese Standard TCVN 5738 – 2001: Fire alarm system in factories – Technical requirements for detailed drawings.
• Vietnamese Standard TCVN 5760 – 2001: Factory fire fighting system – General requirements for detailed design, installation and use of fire protection systems.
• Vietnamese Standard TCVN 4513 – 88: Water supply inside fire protection systems – Design standards.
• Vietnamese Standard TCVN 3526 – 89: Fire safety – General requirements of fire protection systems.

>>> See more information at: Fire protection regulations in factory construction

2. What does the factory fire protection system include?

       Understanding the importance of fire protection systems for factories and manufacturing plants, businesses need to properly meet fire protection design regulations and standards. So what will a standard factory fire protection system include? 

2.1 Fire fighting on walls
        Wall fire suppression systems are used for warehouses and factories with a high risk of fire and explosion incidents. This system collects water from firefighting water supply pump stations combined with a wall water intake system for timely use in case of fire. When an incident occurs, it is necessary to turn and open the stop valves to immediately have a stream of high-pressure water sprayed out to extinguish the fire. Currently, wall fire protection systems are being commonly applied to factories and warehouses.

(Wall fire suppression system - internet source)

2.2 Semi-automatic fire protection
       This is a quite popular fire protection system in factories and warehouses. This system includes a fire box mounted on the wall, which contains the following equipment: hose reel, valve set, nozzle. To activate fire suppression mode, simply open the existing pressure pipeline release valve. 

2.3 Automatic Sprinkler
       The Sprinkler system is an automatic water fire protection system with sprinklers always in ready mode. When the temperature there reaches a certain threshold, the system will automatically be activated to extinguish the fire. Each different type of nozzle will have its own operating threshold designed, suitable for installation in many projects of different sizes. 

2.4 Fire protection foam system
        Foam factory fire protection systems are commonly used for large projects with a high risk of fire. Firefighting foam has the ability to prevent flammable liquids from coming into contact with fire, thereby reducing the risk of fire spreading. This measure also has the ability to minimize damage to machinery and equipment while not causing environmental pollution.

(Foam fire extinguishing system - internet source)

2.5 Gas fire extinguishing system
         The gas fire extinguishing system is considered the most effective, quick and least damaging way. Fires are caused by large amounts of oxygen in the air, so this system applied CO2 gas to prevent fires. However, this method causes suffocation, easily leading to respiratory failure and death for humans. To conduct gas firefighting, the siren system will be activated to evacuate people to a safe area. Only then can the factory fire protection system be activated with gas. 

        In addition to CO2, this system can also use inert gas - a gas mixture including: CO2, N2, Ar. This is an alternative solution that helps minimize CO2 concentrations, does not harm human health as well as ensures the safety of machinery and equipment. 

3. Why must a factory fire protection system be installed?
       Installing a factory fire protection system is a mandatory regulation that business owners must follow. Complying with factory fire prevention regulations helps bring many great benefits to the project, specifically as follows:

• Fire and explosion incidents can arise at any time. In the absence of human presence, fire protection systems can automatically be activated and perform the task of extinguishing the fire, ensuring the safety of the building.
• The fire protection system is one of the important items of the factory project. Therefore, meeting factory fire protection design standards is a necessary step to carry out completion procedures for the factory. 
• Maintenance and upkeep of the fire protection system is quite easy and does not cost much.
• The fire protection system has guaranteed quality and high durability. 
• High operating efficiency, safe and stable. 
• The working environment is guaranteed, helping employees work with peace of mind. 
• It can be seen that installing fire protection systems brings many great benefits to projects. Therefore, businesses need to pay special attention to the design and installation of fire protection systems. 

>>> You may also need: Industrial factory construction processes and standards

4. Learn about fire suppression systems

4.1 Wall fire suppression system 
        One of the factory fire suppression systems commonly used in factory buildings and industrial parks is the wall fire suppression system. 

4.1.1 Concepts 
       The wall fire suppression system is a factory fire protection system located in walls, emergency stairs, hallways, etc. The system operates by using water at pumping stations combined with the system. water intake to fight wall fires. In case a sudden fire or explosion occurs, just open the stop valve and high pressure water will immediately spray out to extinguish the fire. After the water pressure decreases, the pumping system will automatically work to continuously provide firefighting water to the building.

(wall fire suppression system - internet source)

A wall fire pump system includes: 

• Fire fighting water tank;
• Backup pump system, electric and booster pump;
• Fire pump control electrical cabinet;
• High pressure tank, pressure relay, high pressure gauge;
• Flow change system and alarm valve;
• Valve system: stop valve, suction and discharge valve, one-way valve;
• Fire fighting water pipeline system;
• Water intake for fire fighting.

4.1.2 Principle of operation 
         To ensure constant water pressure under normal conditions, the pumps will be controlled by an automatic center. When the water pressure gradually decreases, the pressure compensation pump will automatically activate to supply water to the pipeline, compensating for the lost pressure. If the water pressure is suddenly reduced due to the nozzle opening, the main pump will operate to provide water for firefighting. At the same time, the signal is also transmitted to the alarm center and other alarm devices.

4.1.3 Installation procedure 
         Below are the steps to install a wall fire suppression system according to standard procedures:

• Measure, mark and cut pipes according to the correct dimensions shown on the technical drawings.
• Install pipe support brackets. Accordingly, the position of the brackets will be adjusted to the correct position on the drawing, tightly fixed on the floor/wall based on the structure of the project.
• Connect pipes, valves and accessories together through joints.
• Use rockwool and fire-stopping putty to seal gaps. 
• Perform cleaning work on pipes, valves, and accessories.
• Test pressure and pipeline leaks. 
• Connectors complete the system. 

4.2 Learn about the Sprinkler fire suppression system
        Sprinkler System is an automatic fire extinguishing system with sealed sprinklers that are always ready to operate. When the temperature in that area changes abnormally and reaches a certain threshold value, the Sprinkler system will be activated. At this time, the system will automatically work to extinguish the fire and prevent its spread. However, this automatic fire suppression system is only capable of fighting fires locally, in a certain area.

(automatic fire protection sprinkler system - Internet source)

4.2.1 Classification 
        Sprinkler systems are also divided into many types with different characteristics, specifically as follows:

• Wet Sprinkler System: The system is attached to the roof-mounted water pipe, pre-connected to the water pump source. Therefore, water will spray out immediately when the heat from the fire increases the nozzle temperature beyond the specified threshold. 
• Dry Sprinkler System: Unlike the wet Sprinkler system, the pipes of the dry system contain air or Nitrogen. When the system is activated, the gas inside the pipe will flow out, allowing water pressure to open the dry pipe valve. 
• Overflow Sprinkler System: This is a factory fire protection system that uses an open sprinkler head connected to the water source through the discharge valve. When the fire alarm system is activated, the discharge valve will be opened so that water can move from the pipes through the nozzles, serving effective firefighting.
• Pre-trigger system: An activated fire alarm system opens the pre-trigger valve, allowing water to enter the piping system. However, the water still does not spray out until the temperature triggers the nozzle to open and spray water out.

4.2.2 Operating principle 
        When an explosion or fire occurs, the high temperature from the fire will increase the air temperature. The hot air is now pushed to the ceiling, walls or locations where the Sprinkler nozzle is located. When the ambient temperature reaches a certain threshold (usually 135°F, 155°F or 250°F) it will increase the pressure inside the glass tube and burst the tube.

(Sprinkler fire suppression system - Internet source)

           At this time, water from the pipe will spray from the Sprinkler heads. At the same time, the signals will be transmitted to the control center cabinet. The center will control the fire pump relays, helping to maintain a constant amount of water in the system throughout the Sprinkler system's operation. 

4.2.3 Activation temperature 
        Sprinkler activation temperature is the temperature of the air that causes the glass tube to break, breaking the sealing structure of the sprinkler. From there, water is released from the spray pipe through the Sprinkler nozzles. 

        According to NFPA standards, the sprinkler nozzle activation temperature is divided into 6 temperature levels as follows: 

• Normal temperature: 135°F – 170°F.
• Average temperature: 175°F – 225°F.
• High temperature: 250°F – 300°F.
• The temperature is quite high: 325°F - 375°F.
• Very high temperature: 400°F – 475°F.
• Extremely high temperatures: 500°F or more. 

      To choose the appropriate type of discharge faucet, customers need to rely on the temperature of the area to be installed under normal operating conditions. The activation temperature must be higher than the normal temperature of the installation area, but must not be too high to avoid a situation where the fire spreads quickly and is difficult to control.

4.2.4 Injector pressure 
         Sprinkler nozzle pressure is the pressure at which the sprinkler nozzle structure is not broken. Each Sprinkler system also has its own way of calculating pressure, depending on sprinkler standards. According to NFPA standards, the Sprinkler's minimum operating pressure must reach 7 PSI (0.5 BAR). 

5. Conclusion
      Complying with factory fire prevention regulations is a top priority that every business must implement. We hope that the above sharing from Hung Nghiep Phu Construction Investment Co., Ltd. has helped our partners/customers gain more useful information about the factory's fire protection system. Applying fire protection design regulations and standards will bring high efficiency, ensuring safety for people and property.

         Currently, the factory buildings of  Hung Nghiep Phu Construction Investment Company Limited are all designed and built to comply with current fire prevention and fighting regulations. We always apply the most modern fire protection systems available to put into our projects. This is to ensure the lives of workers and safety for businesses during operation and production. This is one of the criteria highly appreciated by customers and partners who have used Hung Nghiep Phu's services. 

       Hung Nghiep Phu Construction Investment Company Limited specializes in civil construction and industrial construction. Contact the company today for the fastest consultation!

___________________

CONTACT INFO:

 Facebook: Công ty TNHH Đầu Tư Xây Dựng Hưng Nghiệp Phú (興業富)

 Đường dây nóng: 1800.3368

 Website: xaydunghunnghiepphu.com

 Gmail: kinhdoanh01@xaydunghunnghiepphu.com

Address: No. 2034D, Group 22, Phuoc Thai Quarter, Thai Hoa Ward, Tan Uyen Town, Binh Duong Province