[3dem] Sprinklers

[Dennis Thomas]

Try the following web page www.westfire.com. It is my brother-in-laws old
business (he retired) they worked for special cases IT, mining industry
etc. They provided a wide range of options to companies worldwide.

Dennis


On Fri, Mar 4, 2016 at 8:36 PM, James Whisstock <james.whisstock at monash.edu>
wrote:

> Hi
>
> OK - I checked it out - sorry it was a few years ago when we did all this
> and I got it wrong.
>
> We first requested no sprinklers in the microscope rooms, but this was
> deemed completely unacceptable by fire / building safety.  We are not
> allowed inert gas systems as it means the whole area has to be classified
> as highly hazardous (in case they go off) and we didn't fancy being forced
> by health and safety to set up grids while wearing a scuba outfit.  We
> didn't go with powder (Wim, James, you are right the powder would have
> equally damaged the microscope).
>
> Instead we have a double interlock reaction dry sprinkler system with
> VESDA.  As I understand it the dry sprinkler is nitrogen reticulated (to
> help prevent corrosion in the pipes) and being dry means there is no or
> very little water in the pipes above the microscope (although there is
> water behind the valve located elsewhere in the building of course). The
> key is the VESDA (very early smoke detection) system which, as I understand
> it must be triggered together with the sprinkler head being breached in
> order for the system to be activated.  Thus simple clobbering of the
> sprinkler head through the previously mentioned student soccer games or
> just a leak in the system is not enough - the VESDA must also be activated
> at the same time to open the valve.  Its not totally foolproof (students
> kicking soccer balls at the sprinkler head while juggling firesticks in the
> microscope room for e.g.) but seemed the best option we could come up with
> and still afford. It added about $150K to the cost.  We also got in
> writing that the insurance company recognise and take on the risk.
>
> Hope this helps.
>
> J
>
>
>
>
>
> On 5 March 2016 at 05:06, Wim Hagen <hagen at embl.de> wrote:
>
>> James.
>>
>> I would be interested what powder is used and if instruments can actually
>> survive this.
>>
>> Best,
>>
>> Wim Hagen
>> EMBL Heidelberg
>>
>> On Mar 4, 2016, at 03:19, james.whisstock at monash.edu wrote:
>>
>> We have a dry powder sprinkler system - it wasn't cheap - I'll try to
>> find out how much offline - but generally in Australia the insurance
>> companies demand that one takes "reasonable precautions" to install systems
>> that are unlikely to destroy what's under them if accidentally
>> triggered....otherwise we are not insured, so we had no option......
>>
>> J
>>
>> -------
>> Professor James Whisstock
>>
>> Director, ARC Centre of Excellence in Advanced Molecular Imaging
>> NHMRC Senior Principal Research Fellow
>> Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
>> Monash University
>> Clayton, Melbourne, VIC, 3800
>> Australia
>> +61 418 170 585
>>
>> Sent from my iPhone
>>
>> On 3 Mar 2016, at 6:14 PM, Xu, Chen <Chen.Xu at umassmed.edu> wrote:
>>
>> Dear List,
>>
>> We are constructing a new facility for a Titan-Krios. Our construction
>> people want to install the usual sprinkler system in case of fire. We are
>> concerned about potential water damage to the microscope if there was a
>> false alarm. We are wondering whether we should consider an inert gas fire
>> suppression system (e.g. argon). Does anyone have experience with such a
>> system (and likely cost)?  Or does everyone just accept the risk of water
>> damage?
>>
>> Thanks,
>>
>> —
>> Chen Xu
>> CryoEM Core Facility
>> Umass Med School
>>
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>
>
> --
> --
> *PROFESSOR JAMES WHISSTOCK  *
> Director of the ARC Centre of Excellence in Advanced Molecular Imaging
> NHMRC Senior Principal Research Fellow
>
> *Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute*
> Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
> Monash University
> 23 Innovation Walk
> Clayton VIC 3800
> Australia
>
> T: +61 3 9902 9312
> M: +61 (0)418 170 585
> E: james.whisstock at monash.edu
> monash.edu
> imagingcoe.org
>
>
>
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