Automatic Sprinkler Protection - the Most Effective Mitigation Safety Layer Against Fire Hazards in a Chemical Plant

Uncontrolled releases of ignitable liquids present a severe hazard to industrial installations through the formation of pool fires that can cause significant property damage, business interruption and even loss of life. In addition, many plants do not consider the fire scenario as a consequence of loss and containment events of ignitable liquids and flammable gases in their process hazard assessments (PHAs), causing this risk of fire to be misunderstood and undersized.

To ensure that the risk of fire is well managed in a chemical plant, this scenario should be considered in PHAs, as it can lead to loss of life, property damage and business interruption. Furthermore, protection by automatic sprinklers usually provides an effective means to reduce the severity, or even completely eliminate the consequences of these events. Such systems are historically known to be very effective protection layers for reducing the consequences of a fire event, both for people and property.

As an example, a study shows that the death rate per 1,000 reported fires (between 2015 and 2019) in the USA was 89% lower in properties with sprinklers than in properties with no sprinkler protection. In addition, in terms of property damage and considering the Latin American region, FM Global loss statistics consistently shows that, a fire in a sprinklered location is about 15 times less severe than in an unsprinkled location.

Therefore, the objective of this paper is to present a case study of the mutual interaction between FM Global and the Lubrizol Corporation plant in Paulinia, Brazil, where the installation of automatic sprinklers is being installed throughout the chemical plant. Finally, the study will present the best automatic protection options for certain specific areas (such as warehouses and production buildings), together with the water supply system that must be adequate to guarantee the correct demand for such protection systems.