17 fuel-efficient Mercedes-Benz Citan small vans Fire chiefs in Scotland have drafted in a new fleet of 17 fuel-efficient Mercedes-Benz Citan small vans to help spread key safety messages. They were supplied to the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service by Mercedes-Benz Commercial Vehicles Aberdeen and are being maintained by the Dealer’s Service team, as well as in other workshops run by its parent company T.O.M. The new vans are all 90 hp Citan 109 CDI models with Long bodies, and assigned to fire prevention duties. They are used by officers who carry out risk assessments of commercial and public buildings, deliver safety demonstrations, and undertake door-to-door smoke alarm inspections in residential areas. They may also be called into action to support front-line fire appliances at major incidents. The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) was formed in 2013, to replace the eight regional fire brigades which previously served the country. Fleet Manager Scott Roberts, who was formerly responsible for those vehicles operated by the Tayside brigade, said: “These are our first Citans but I know from experience that Mercedes-Benz vans are extremely reliable. “We trialled vehicles in the same class from all of the main manufacturers and the quality and specification of the Citans was in a different league to their competitors. We were equally impressed with the attentive service we received from MBCV Aberdeen, and the extensive back-up network offered by T.O.M.” The Citans have replaced vehicles of another brand, which were supplied directly by the manufacturer and maintained by different dealers depending on the location. “Now, though, we have a single point of contact for everything, which makes my life much easier and is far more efficient,” continued Mr Roberts. “The delivery of these vehicles to SFRS sites across Scotland was handled very professionally and the supplier’s network of workshop sites, all with long opening hours, means we have support where and when we need it.” The smallest vehicle in the Mercedes-Benz Vans range, the Citan is also available as a 75 hp 108 CDI, a 110 hp 111 CDI or a petrol-powered 114 hp Citan 112, and in Compact and Extra-long as well as Long body versions. www.firescotland.gov.uk

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Label: Eco Title: Cleaner delivery for greener fluids Teaser: Mark Fletcher speaks to 3M Label: Warehouses Label: Protective clothing Label: Detection Title: Improving ergonomic design Teaser: Viking’s new PPE is developed with cancer risks in mind Teaser: Tyco’s new ZETTLER PROFILE

Mark Fletcher looks at the effect of environmental legislation on fire-fighting solutions, especially fluids and delivery systems. He also quizzes Bart Goeman, Business Development Manager for Novec™ 1230 Fire Protection Fluid at 3M, who explains how this has been addressed by 3M and its technical partners. With 3M recently announcing that it has become a member of the Construction CPD (Continuing Professional Development) Certification Service and can now offer a one hour CPD certified training course covering the topic of Sustainable Fire Suppression options, I took the opportunity to speak with Bart Goeman about the industry, past, present and a little bit future. The aim of the 3M CPD course is to support buyers, designers and providers of fire suppression systems, by presenting up to date information about clean agent fire suppression options, taking into account the changing regulatory landscape. Attendees will be able to earn one CPD credit as part of their on-going professional development. According to Goeman’s colleague, Simon Mitchell, Key Account Manager for the Electronics Materials Solutions Division: “Fire suppression is a necessity for organisations of all kinds, to protect human life and to protect valuable equipment and other assets. However, recent environmental legislative changes, and the need to ensure that the right system is installed for the right application, means that fire suppression can quickly become a confusing and complex topic. Our aim is to simplify and improve understanding, both for users and providers.” Goeman explains the wider picture: “Originally, we were working with a set of products called PFCs – specifically CEA-410 (clean extinguishing agent). At the time, like all PFCs, we knew that it had an impact on global warming and we were therefore following regulations very closely and we kept a strict eye on the Kyoto agreement, which was becoming more popular. Deciding on a proactive approach, we actually decided to stop the use of these agents in fire protection in 1999. “This proved to be the right strategy,” he explains, “as we all now face legislation introduced due to Kyoto, which focuses on phasing down use of HFCs as well in all markets, including their use in fire protection. Indeed, the Spanish Government has actually gone as far as introduced an environmental tax on the use of HFCs.” As you can imagine, 3M had a plan and was fortunate to have in its inventory fluoroketone 5-1-12 – better known as Novec 1230 – a ‘side product’ from its thermal management research. Novec 1230, as it turns out, is incredibly good at putting out fires, meets all the necessary standards and offers the highest safety regulations for people for any fire fluid available on the market. “Novec 1230 offers excellent environmental characteristics for now and the future,” Goeman elaborates, “with a global warming potential of less than 1 coupled to its very short atmospheric lifetime of just five to seven days. It is also accepted in every country.” The use of Halon was incredibly widespread and research into delivery methods was commensurate with its widespread use. However, thanks to a much better understanding of atmospheric chemistry it was removed from sale and Halon delivery systems had to be decommissioned by the end of 2003. As a result, investigations into the use of alternative engineered agents and fire extinguishing agents has exploded, especially in terms of research and development. System design has also had to evolve to take into account fluid types, the storage possibilities and the means of delivery and dispersal. “My personal view is that inert gases, Novec 1230 and water mist will ultimately take over the market” Goeman elaborates. “System design for the delivery of clean extinguishing agents (those that do not leave a residue) has clearly evolved over the past 12-13 years to more compact, user-friendly systems. The focus has been to develop systems that can be stored centrally and then support/protect different rooms. This used to be the monopoly of inert gas systems due to high storage pressures, but extensive R and D efforts have now seen the possibility of centrally stored delivery systems using Novec 1230 Fluid.” The design of a system is largely driven by standards – EN15004 in the EU for example – which defines what a system using an engineered agent looks like. “These standards are going to be translated by approval bodies,” Goeman explains, “to define certain fire and system test protocols and it is up to the system manufacturer to then address these protocols. The better the system is optimised to the agent the better the system will fit the standard. Leading companies are really working hard to optimise systems to make sure all components work well together and the calculations match the exact system needs. When they are all put together and subjected to standards-based evaluations the results will ultimately define the efficacy of the system.” Goeman explains how 3M keeps a strict eye on Novec 1230-based systems. “We really want to make sure that the systems out in the market function correctly, we therefore demand from our OEM partners that they subject their systems to international approval. We want to make sure that the valve, manifolds, nozzle, software, etc. have all been tested together and only these systems can be deployed to the market. “This is about safety of people,” he continues. “Systems using Novec 1230 are used in ship engine rooms, for example, so you need to be 100% sure that the system works. There are always conditions where an accident can occur, with no pre-alarm; you have to be sure that when activated, it will work.” When it comes to the design of delivery systems, Goeman elaborates on how a change in media type has resulted in a change of mind set. “Most systems using halon ran at 25 Bar, with relatively simple nozzles as gaseous agents boil at negative temperatures, so you didn’t have to have a really high level of nozzle design. Novec 1230 on the other hand is a fluid at room temperature, which is

Stefan Haug, Product Marketing Manager, Fire at Bosch Security Systems explains how their video surveillance technology is transcending from the security industry into fire detection applications for warehouses and industrial spaces Warehouses can be a fire-fighter’s worst nightmare. Although warehouse fires do, thankfully, usually result in few bodily injuries or deaths, the lack of early fire detection technologies and the immense fire loads in warehouses do often result in fire-fighters arriving on the scene just to see that it’s too late – the fire has already become too hazardous and too large to risk entering the warehouse. Total loss of the building is the typical result. Video-based fire detection technologies promise faster and more accurate detection of such potentially devastating fires, allowing fire-fighters to limit the damage. Most warehouses are characterised by high ceilings and very large open areas, also resulting in huge volumes of air inside which is a major challenge for traditional fire detection technologies. Usually, such technologies have been developed to discover the presence of smoke, heat or flames. In warehouse environments, heat detection by means of sprinklers is a commonly used technology, but even fully compliant sprinkler systems may not be able to extinguish the fire they detected. Using sprinklers also bears the potential of the water doing more harm than the fire itself. They are designed to save the building, not the commodities inside. Smoke detection is considered to be a reliable option for early fire detection. Smoke is usually produced way before any flames become visible. However, traditional detectors like point-type, beam or even aspirating smoke detectors need the smoke to migrate to their location, which is a challenge in large warehouses. Mounted at ceiling level, point detectors are usually far away from the source of the smoke. Furthermore, given the large volume of a warehouse, the smoke is being heavily diluted. A starting fire may thus not produce enough smoke to be detected or not enough buoyancy to drive the smoke upwards to the ceiling where the detectors are located. In addition, traditional detectors need some maintenance which can be hard and expensive to perform in high warehouses with narrow aisles between shelves full of commodities. Optical beam smoke detectors can be an option in some environments, but they still need the smoke to migrate to the area of detection. They can be located at lower heights than point detectors usually are, but then may be disturbed by moving equipment such as automated storage and retrieval systems (ASRS). They are also prone to misalignments due to vibrations or building motion caused by wind. Aspiration detectors, finally, suffer from the very same problems that other smoke detectors do: They need buoyancy or ventilation because they can pull smoke over short distances only. The only smoke detection technology that does not need the smoke to migrate to the sensor is video. Video-based smoke detection is basically a set of algorithms in an intelligent camera. These algorithms process the camera image to determine whether smoke is present, and they can detect a fire as soon as the smoke enters their field of view. This way they can cover larger areas and volumes than point, beam or aspiration detectors, making them a much more affordable solution for warehouse environments. Further, in such environments video is much faster than traditional smoke detection. It can detect a starting fire within ten to 30 seconds while other technologies will need minutes due to the slow smoke migration – minutes that can make the difference between a nuisance and a disaster. Detect smoke and flames But video can do more than just smoke detection. If you use one set of algorithms to identify smoke, you can just as well implement another set to deal with flames. Flame characteristics of different fires are well understood, and thus flame detection through intelligent video analysis is just as reliable as smoke detection. Using video to detect flames avoids the necessity to install and operate optical flame detectors and adds additional value by way of full video visualisation of the scene. The operator can therefore precisely locate the seat of the fire as well as involved commodities, potentially providing valuable time for fire-fighting. The video image can also be used to verify alarms in the first place, avoiding costly false alarms. However, video-based fire detection (VFD) is by itself highly immune against such false alarms, as intelligent video analysis within the camera allows to detect disturbing values such as movement, reflections or changing lighting conditions and to offset such influences. In internal tests, Bosch Security Systems has therefore achieved very high detection reliability in all test fires (TF1 through TF8) as specified in EN54. Cameras cover broad areas, need little maintenance and do not even require individual power supplies. With Power over Ethernet (PoE), power and video signals use the same cable, even allowing the camera to benefit from the uninterruptable power supplies (UPS) in the Ethernet switches. Video-based solutions thus come with a very affordable cost of ownership. Video-based fire detection systems scales well from a single camera to a networked system of distributed cameras with a central console and management system. They can relay alarms to an existing fire alarm panel or transmit them via Ethernet to the monitoring centre or even a mobile device. Receiving HD quality video images in real time during their approach gives the fire-fighters a good understanding of the current situation even before they arrive on the scene. Video combines safety and security While video-based fire detection can be more reliable and more affordable than other technologies in most warehouse scenarios, it offers an additional benefit that no other option can. It allows to combine safety and security. Having installed a video-based fire detection system, the operator of a warehouse can use the very same cameras for video surveillance. There are lots of reasons to monitor the warehouse, avoiding theft being the most obvious one. But just as intelligent algorithms can identify smoke or flames, others can

 Phil Cunliffe, Senior Fire Product Manager, Tyco Fire Protection Products, explains how the company’s new range of products has been designed with the user in mind Ergonomics put people at the heart of design to optimise comfort, functionality and user-friendliness. It encourages product developers and manufacturers to take into account how users interact with products, focusing on the strengths and abilities of people rather than setting a fixed design and forcing users to adapt. These parameters cover a wide range of factors, including age, size, strength, cognitive function and – most importantly in the case of technology-based products – prior experience. Applying good ergonomic practice to products, such as fire control panels, strips out complexity from the user experience, making the systems easier, safer and more efficient to use. Combining an ergonomic user interface with an enhanced operating system and software capability makes this technology more accessible to a wider user base, which in turn meets the changing needs of system designers, integrators and end users. The functions and components of a fire detection system Fire detection systems are built to save lives and protect critical assets and property. Effective fire detection requires the careful design and selection of robust and reliable components within the overall system to ensure identification and alarm in the event of a fire. The system must simultaneously reduce the risk of errors and false alarms, which can cause unnecessary evacuations. At the centre of a fire detection system is the control panel. This integrates the functions and status of all system components, including various types of devices such as detector modules, call points, beacons and sounders with other ancillary systems such as protection, plant and extinguishing equipment and alarm routing. A key component of the control panel is the user interface, where trained personnel operate the various functions of the panel and respond to alarm notifications. Technological innovations in other markets, such as the security industry, have addressed the need to update user interfaces to keep pace with industry regulations and innovations in both software and hardware, and improve user experience. These advances in technology enable the fire industry to benefit from a reengineered approach to panel usability in order to deliver the next generation in control panel equipment. Focusing on user experience User interface ergonomics play a key role in ensuring ease of use and relieving the common pain points associated with operating fire alarm control panels. Understanding how different system users interact with a fire control panel and the challenges they face is key to considering the appropriate technology, based on the system components and level of severity in terms of the fire risk. Applying this insight influences research and development into new product design and engineering in a way that supports improved user experience for all operators. To gain further understanding, Tyco Fire Protection Products categorised typical operators of a control panel based on the frequency with which they interact with the system, and the type of function they are likely to perform. User groups are classed as occasional, medium or high frequency operators, all of which tend to require a different level of understanding and access in order to operate the control panel confidently. Occasional users include receptionists and facilities employees. This group is likely to have less experience of working with the fire control panel and in this instance common ‘fear factors’ can become prevalent – flashing LEDs, unexpected alarm buzzers and system faults all create the potential to confuse the user. Often located near to the panel, a building receptionist is often the first responder. They therefore require a general level of understanding with regard to the system functions, such as silencing the buzzer, system fault notification and awareness of LED warnings and their relevant meanings. Recognising and understanding the phases of the fire detection system, along with a basic level of access, ensures the ability to interrogate and assess the information quickly, as well as identifying potential false alarms and system errors. The facilities management team will typically perform a regular fire test and have operational responsibility for the fire detection system and any related fire safety procedures such as evacuation plans. There­fore, easy login functionality is essen­tial to manage more features of the system, including fire drills and disabling certain components. Medium to high frequency operators are typically system integrators, installers and maintenance engineers. These users are often responsible for connecting and interrogating devices within the system, either during initial installation or routine maintenance, and possess a much more detailed technical understanding of the fire control system, being able to navigate to various functions quickly and easily. Flexibility, system integration and ease of use are critical factors for these individuals, as a complex and convoluted user interface impacts the speed of installation and commissioning. The ability to access complete system functionality multiple times speedily and easily is valuable as operations are often repeated many times during a single engineer visit. Common problems with fire systems Exploring the common problems affecting system operators has enabled fire detection suppliers to develop technology which overcomes these pain points. A key issue is the fact that many users are concerned about making mistakes because the user interface is too confusing and complex. The first time many operators interact with the control panel could potentially be in an emergency, and the more complex the user interface – particularly for the building management and first response emergency services – the greater the risk for costly mistakes, wasted time and potential business and operational disruption. Complex menu systems can easily lead to confusion, inciting fear and paralysing the user due to a lack of guidance or panel intuition. System operators often equate additional and enhanced functionality with a more complex interface, which could potentially only add to their worry. Undermining users’ confidence in how to operate the system through complex and convoluted procedures creates an unnecessary cycle of confusion and stress, which ultimately works against the need for rapid and calm reaction in