6th International Fire and Security Symposium and Exhibition Held

The sixth International Fire and Safety Symposium and Exhibition was held on 4-5 December 2019 at Lütfi Kırdar Congress Centre.

This event is organized by TÜYAK every two years to discuss fire safety issues, bring together all stakeholders in the fire and security sector, and explain developments in relevant regulations and standards. Fire safety professionals, relevant public administrators, academics, design and implementation engineers, consultants, insurers, manufacturers, product suppliers and technical personnel gathered under this major event. During the two-day symposium and exhibition, information was provided on developments and design principles in protection and prevention systems adapted to current technology, while new devices that detect, warn and provide solutions against fire, sabotage, earthquakes, workplace accidents and environmental risks were also presented.

Prof. Dr. Abdurrahman Kılıç Draws Attention to Factory Fires

Prof. Dr. Abdurrahman Kılıç, Honorary President of the Turkey Fire Protection Foundation and Fire Protection Association, and Chairman of the TÜYAK 2019 Fire and Safety Symposium and Exhibition Executive Board, stated that approximately 400 major factory fires are recorded annually in Turkey, and pointed out that 160 of these fires occur in Istanbul. Kılıç noted that in addition to major property losses, these fires also cause loss of life, with an average of 25 people dying annually in fires. According to information provided by Prof. Dr. Abdurrahman Kılıç, factory fires, particularly in textile, plastic, food, metal, paints and coatings, and petrochemistry facilities, generally occur due to electrical installation problems, gas leaks, overheating of materials or equipment, improperly stored flammable gases and liquids, failure to follow rules during repairs and neglect of periodic maintenance.

Fire Insurance Should Be Made Compulsory for Factories

It is known that the insurance rates for factories in Turkey are considerably lower compared to developed countries. Factory insurance has been made compulsory in developed countries. Insurance companies monitor the measures taken by industrial facilities against fire. Factories that do not take sufficient precautions and have high risks have their insurance premiums increased. In a statement, Prof. Dr. Abdurrahman Kılıç said: "Only 40 percent of factories that burn in Istanbul are insured. As in developed countries, a compulsory insurance system should be introduced for factories in our country. When a factory burns, the loss does not only affect the factory owner. It is national wealth that burns. Workers become unemployed, customers are lost. A citizen obtaining spare parts or materials from the burned facility has to obtain them elsewhere and loses time. Compulsory insurance means taking fire prevention measures. Taking measures is not only about protecting the property owner but also about protecting the economy, protecting workers, protecting the supply industry, protecting the buyers of products," he said.

Fire Prevention Measures Should Be Inspected

Maintenance and repair work not performed on time is one of the most important causes of industrial fires. Failure to take precautions during these operations also causes industrial fires to start and spread. Initial fires that occur during renovation work, particularly in connection with welding work, can grow into fires causing major damage. Objects covered with flammable materials and easily ignitable substances can catch fire from scattered sparks or welding fragments, and fires generally create heavy smoke, spreading quickly over a short time to cover all combustible materials and cause severe damage that cannot be prevented. Extinguishing attempts made by a small number of people with insufficient equipment prove unsuccessful in such cases. The conclusion drawn from this is the necessity of first securing the environment against fire, and equipping it with early warning and automatic extinguishing systems.

Employees Should Be Educated

At the symposium, the necessity of raising awareness among industrial facility operators and employees was also emphasized. The need to prepare a special "Emergency Procedure" to check the functionality of existing systems and ensure coordination of personnel within the facility during a fire was discussed. Prof. Dr. Abdurrahman Kılıç said: "In this procedure, the persons responsible in each unit, the personnel, the tasks to be carried out, and the principles of daily and monthly periodic maintenance should be provided in detail. In the event of a fire, everyone should know in advance what they will do. The organizational structure in case of fire should also be clearly defined and the existing measures should be shown on the layout plan in the procedure. As we always say, fires are prevented by taking measures and extinguished by design," he said.

Preparation for Post-Earthquake Fires

Prof. Dr. Abdurrahman Kılıç also emphasized the importance of fires following earthquakes, noting that fires occurring in industrial facilities after earthquakes are more common in industrial plants, refineries, commercial buildings and wooden structures. Prof. Dr. Abdurrahman Kılıç noted that 60 percent of Turkey's industry is located in the Marmara region, which lies in the earthquake zone, and reminded that the impact of industrial fires that would occur after an earthquake could be devastating. Kılıç said: "If the expected Istanbul earthquake occurs in winter evenings, there will be 2,736 fires, of which approximately 1,900 would turn into large fires that cannot be easily extinguished. It is estimated that 20 percent of these fires would occur in workshops, factories and industrial facilities."

Sector Gave Strong Support to Symposium

The symposium was realized with the support of BACADER (Chimney Manufacturers and Implementers Association), DOSİDER (Natural Gas Equipment Manufacturers and Business Association), ETMD (Electrical Installation Engineers Association), İNTES, İMSAD (Construction Materials Manufacturers Association), İZODER (Heat, Water, Sound and Fire Insulation Association), TMMOB Chamber of Mechanical Engineers, MYK (Professional Qualifications Institution), MTMD (Mechanical Installation Contractors Association), POMSAD (Turkish Pump and Valve Manufacturers Association), Turkey Gas Concrete Producers Union, TMMOB Chamber of Architects, TTMD (Turkish Plumbing Engineers Association), Turkish Structural Steel Association, TÜROB (Turkish Hotels Association), European Fire Sprinkler Network, FM Approvals, IWMA (International Water Mist Association), International Fire Sprinkler Association, UL, NFPA, C.A.F Industrial and other international and national organizations, as well as contributions from domestic and foreign university and company representatives.