The Impact of Industrial and Manufacturing Fires

The businesses that are located here in NYC play such a big role in the economy - not just the local economy but the national and global ones as well. Industry and manufacturing here in the Bronx and in all of NYC and the Greater Metro NY area provide goods and services, which is why it is so important that these businesses are thoroughly protected from the threat of fires. Today, we are going to take a look at the occurrences of industrial and manufacturing fires in the hopes of better protecting ourselves from them.

The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) is an organization that has its finger on the pulse of all things fire-related in the United States. They've provided significant data regarding manufacturing and industrial fires that have occurred in the nation during the time period of 2011-2015. During that 5-year period, there were 37,910 fires at industrial or manufacturing locations. Every year, along with $1.2 billion in property damage and loss (a staggering figure), 16 individuals lost their lives and 273 suffered injuries.

If you were to classify these fires into sub-categories, about 26,000 were outside or unclassified fires, 3,410 were vehicle fires, and 7,700 were structural fires.

Of all the industrial and manufacturing fires, structural fires totaled 20%. However, they had the worst results: 67% of the property damage, 80% of the injuries, and 49% of human loss of life.

When we look at the root causes of these fires, 15% were a result of heating issues, 24% were lighting and electrical issues.

The next category to assess is outside or unclassified fires - the largest group with 26,000 events - 71% of the total of industrial or manufacturing fires. In this category, there was $265 million in damages.

Vehicle fires - 9% of the total of industrial and manufacturing fires - were responsible for $125 million each year in damages.

While statistics can only provide a partial picture, it's enough to inform us that when a fire takes place at a manufacturing or industrial location, there are significant and costly losses, which can take weeks, months, and even years to recover.

Flameproofing is such an essential part of any fire prevention plan, especially in locations when the losses can be so great. When flammable materials or textiles are treated with flame repellents, in the event of a fire, they are no longer combustible and therefore will not contribute to the spread and severity of the fire. This can significantly reduce costly losses of property and human life.

If you have questions about flameproofing or fire prevention, please give us a call today. Bronx Flameproofing has been serving the New York City area and beyond for over  50 years. We'd be pleased to offer our services to you as well: 800-594-0117.

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