Fire suppression and prevention with nitrogen for industrial facilities

With industrial buildings, warehouses, and storage rooms, it's important to invest in the right fire suppression and prevention measures. This is essential for minimizing the damage a fire can cause. A common method for achieving this is using nitrogen (N₂) as both a preventative measure and in a sprinkler system. 

When implemented in fire prevention, N₂ is injected into a room to reduce the oxygen (O₂) present in ambient air. This is because the air we breathe consists of 21% O₂, 78% N₂, and 1% other gasses. If O₂ levels are reduced to 15% or lower, the air can't keep burning the flame.

If used in a sprinkler system, N₂ tackles two issues. It doesn't impact electronic equipment and reduces corrosion. The latter is because both moisture and O₂ can cause rust in sprinkler systems.

It’s also worth mentioning that you could benefit from lower insurance premiums with an N₂ fire prevention and suppression system. Aside from significantly lowering potential damages and loss, using N₂ demonstrates to insurance companies a proactive investment in fire safety and risk management.

To help you better understand the benefits of N₂ for fire suppression and prevention, we've developed two articles. Read on to learn more about what they contain:

A good fire prevention plan involves smoke detectors, proper flammable material storage, routine fire safety inspections, and electrical system maintenance. It's also recommended to develop a fire plan, install good ventilation, and train staff on how to best handle a fire.

A fire needs three things: oxygen, a source of fuel or flammable materials, and an ignition. If not enough oxygen is present, a fire simply cannot start. As part of this, you can use N₂, like previously pointed out. The reason this gas is a good choice is because it's already found in ambient air. It's also non-toxic and widely available. In general, an N₂ prevention system consists of N₂, piping, and nozzles to feed the gas into a room. With this you'll want a readily available supply of N₂.

That said, it's a good idea to have an on-site N₂ generator. We cover this topic briefly below. Additionally, if you'd like more information on the different stages of fire management, which include prevention, protection and suppression, read our related article. 

It’s important to add that with N₂ prevention, you want specialized staff trained to set up, manage, and maintain the system. This is because you'll need to ensure regulations and protocols are followed.

These individuals are also important for making sure the fire prevention system is effective and healthy for humans. That said, most N₂ prevention systems have measures to detect issues.

The main reason to use N₂ for fire suppression is due to the fact that it doesn't rely on water/liquid to put out flames. Instead, the inert gas N₂ is ejected. You can read more about this in a related article on N₂ for fire suppression. It further explains how N₂ plays a role.