Agricultural settings typically contain a range of highly flammable materials, particularly in the case of forestry where timber and sawdust may be present in large quantities.
This combines with an increased risk of ignition, due to the presence of heavy machinery and agricultural vehicles, operating at high temperature in the presence of fuel, lubricating oils and other fluids.
In order to minimise the risk of fires and to reduce the losses incurred if a fire is able to break out, you need an industry-specific fire prevention system with a proven track record.
Merlin have over 30 years of experience working across all industries, including the agriculture sector, and we have developed the expertise needed to design, supply, install and maintain fire prevention systems for agriculture and forestry operators.
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Fire Protection Guide
Not sure which fire protection system you need? Check our comprehensive Fire Protection Guide.
How Agricultural Fires Start
There are many potential sources of ignition for agricultural fires. Just a few examples include:
- Chaff and dust surrounding hot engines and moving vehicle parts
- Candlelit sky lanterns that land in agricultural fields in dry weather
- Accidental ignition due to legitimate activities e.g. charcoal burning
Fuel and oxygen are ever-present in agricultural environments, and in most cases only a source of ignition is needed to light a potentially catastrophic fire.
This can very quickly lead to widespread destruction of materials, crops, and potentially lead to the death of livestock and working animals, in addition to the risk to human life.
How to Prevent Fires in Agricultural Vehicles
The Dafo Vehicle Fire Prevention System is an ideal way to safeguard against agricultural vehicle fires.
It monitors the high-risk areas of the vehicle using linear heat detection cables, which trigger an alarm state at temperatures in excess of 160 degrees Celsius.
Once the alarm is triggered, visual and audible warnings alert the driver to evacuate the vehicle, and the system can automatically dispense the proprietary Forrex fire suppression agent throughout the vehicle.
This reduces heat in any thermal hotspots and provides a fire blanket effect, to isolate possible fuel sources from atmospheric oxygen so that they cannot burn.
Crucially, this all happens very quickly, before the fire can take significant hold of the vehicle, to minimise any losses and prevent the risk of flames spreading to nearby materials.
End-to-End Agricultural Fire Protection Systems
To protect agricultural premises as a whole, we can design bespoke fire protection systems using methods like thermal imaging, flame detection and visual monitoring to identify emerging fire risks across open areas.
Our systems can alert the emergency services and/or send a signal to site operators to respond to any detected threat.
We can also install and maintain fire suppression systems such as water mist systems and compressed air foams, some of which are suitable for use outdoors and in large structures such as barns and silos.
For more information or to book a no-obligation initial consultation with one of our engineers, please contact Merlin today using any of the details listed on our Contact page. All enquiries are welcome and we are always happy to help.
