SAFETY
system program, select vehicles will be equipped
to seamlessly incorporate JCI fire protection
systems during the earliest stages of vehicle
development and production, fully integrating
the technology into vehicles and standardising
installation practices worldwide. The Caterpillar
and JCI teams worked collaboratively to design
fire suppression systems for Caterpillar vehicles.
New models are being added to the program all
the time.
The factory-installed fire suppression system
program resulted from Caterpillar Voice of
Customer surveys that revealed end users’ need
to address after-market design and installation
practices. Caterpillar conducted a worldwide
evaluation of vehicle system manufacturers and
their fire suppression technologies in order to
standardise these systems for their vehicles.
From this evaluation, JCI and its ANSUL brand fire
protection systems were chosen due to the
global network of Authorised ANSUL Distributors,
innovative fire protection technologies, and
world-class global account support and technical
expertise.
At a new mine in Northern Ontario, Canada,
the mining company was very aware that the
isolated location of the mine, many kilometres
from the nearest emergency services, required
superior protection for the personnel that occupy
the electrical substation that powers this site.
The architect and engineering firm contracted
by the mining operation originally specified a CO 2
system for its fire protection needs. The mine
operator called Kidde distributor Vipond Systems
Group for installation of the system. Vipond
conducted its own pre-installation hazard
analysis and concluded that a CO 2 system was
not the right option for this application.
Vipond proposed a Kidde ECS™ Clean Agent
Suppression System using FM-200 ® from the
proposed CO 2 system with the justification of
personnel safety, as well as a cost reduction.
Because the space intended for protection was to
be occupied, FM-200 was a safer alternative as it
is a proven, people-safe agent when used per
NFPA requirements. In addition to the safety
advantage, the Kidde ECS System would prove to
be more economical for the operation as the
system requires significantly fewer cylinders.
Ordinarily, this may not be an issue, but this
installation had to fulfil portability requirements.
The system would have to be hauled hundreds of
kilometres across the Arctic each time the
operation was set-up and torn-down thus, having
International Mining | OCTOBER 2017
a smaller system equated to a large cost savings
in transportation for the operation. The mining
operation was impressed with this alternative
suggestion and chose Vipond to install the Kidde
ECS System using FM-200.
Kidde says ECS Clean Agent Fire Suppression
Systems are the “preferred fire suppression
solution for facilities that cannot afford the
downtime associated with a fire or typical water-
based fire suppression systems. Clean Agent
systems extinguish a fire quickly by breaking
down the molecular structure of the fire. The
suppression agents do not harm the equipment
or personnel in the protected room or cause a
mess to clean up afterwards.
“ECS Clean Agents offer rapid fire extinguishment,
suppressing fires within seconds of the agent being
discharged into the protected area. The agents are
ventilated out of the space and do