Fire safety is high-pressure at BP

BOCHUM: British Petroleum’s new German Headquarters in Bochum were completed in early 2006, marking the beginning of a new era for BP in Germany. This elegantly functional, modern building is a complete reflection of BP’s respect for environmental standards, safety standards and its interest in pioneering technology – not least in the area of fire protection.

When it comes to employee and public safety, BP explores everything that technology can offer with high-pressure requirements. The stated fire safety requirements for BP’s Bochum building exceeded those of the local building regulations, which did not require a fixed fire protection system.

Different fire protection technologies were explored at an early stage of the architectural design. Attention soon began to focus on the HI-FOG® 2000 system with SPU pump unit. It clearly met the stated performance requirements with a proven track record and VdS approval for light and ordinary hazards. The architects liked the leanness, sophistication and practicality of the system design: high-quality stainless steel tubing of narrow diameter easily installed in a suspended ceiling, attractive and unobtrusive spray heads, and an SPU pump unit that took up little technical space.

Once the decision was made to install HI-FOG®, Marioff worked in cooperation with the building fire protection consultant, the Bochum fire brigade, VdS and the general contractor to sort out the specifics of the installation and schedule.

The installation project was completed in six months, on schedule. Site acceptance was carried out by VdS. This involved a full-scale activation test of the system which was witnessed by a third-party authority.

HI-FOG® water mist technology for fire protection is not widely known in the global building sector. This will change as more leading companies like BP begin to benefit from its many advantages. HI-FOG® is thoroughly fire-tested and approved by the relevant certification authorities. Architects, building contractors, insurers and building users will all benefit from the fire protection it offers.