When there is a fire in any building it is essential that fire fighters have relevant information about the type of materials present in that building. If the building is a cold store or used for food processing it is certain to contain large insulated panels. International Fire Consultants Ltd (IFC) has refined the IACSC labelling scheme outlined in the IACSC ‘Design, Construction, Specification and Fire Management of Insulated Envelopes for Temperature Controlled Environments’ Guide published in 1999.

Labels are placed at all the doorways into the building and its internal spaces to indicate the core of the panels in the ceilings and walls on the other side of the door. This provides information on what the fire fighter is walking into. Thus the only real danger to the fire fighter is from the ceiling tiles when they delaminate in the fire.

In addition there is an enhanced fire plan placed at the Nearest Point of Entry for the brigade to give the Incident Commander information about the general layout and positioning of the sandwich panels in the building.

The labelling scheme now includes information as to whether the panels have been tested and deemed fire stable (under test conditions the panels have not delaminated and there have been no flaming droplets from the core materials) and issued with a Conformity Certificate, diagonal green stripes down the left hand side, solid green if the panels have passed a fire resistance test; there is a red band on the right hand side if the panel has LPC approval.

Contact IACSC/IFC at the address below for more details.

20 Park Street
Princes Risborough
Buckinghamshire
HP27 9AH
Tel: (0) 44(0)1844 275500
Fax: (0) 44(0)1844 274002
Email: ifc@intfire.com
Web: www.intfire.com