A case study of how a producer of fine porcelain is now protected by a range of new life-safety products.
To protect the 340 people who work at Porcelanas de Costa Verde SA (Costa Verde) porcelain factory in north west Portugal, the producer required quick installation of automatic fire detection devices and energy-efficient emergency lighting. Hochiki Europe products were chosen.
As part of the project, worth about 10,000 euros, a new FIREscape emergency lighting (EL) system was installed, enabling Costa Verde to reduce maintenance costs, and cut energy consumption.
FIREscape is described by Hochiki as an environmentally friendly EL system When compared to traditional lighting, a FIREscape system uses less than 5 per cent electricity, cutting costs for the end user, it’s claimed.
Hochiki Europe’s hybrid wireless fire detection system, FIREwave was also specified. The FIREwave range of products do not require cabling and run off standard lithium batteries, making them more economical and environmentally friendly than traditional detection units, according to the firm.
The products installed at the site in Costa Verde comply with all applicable international standards as well as Portuguese regulations, such as the Security Technical Regulation Fire in Buildings, Decree No. 1532/2008. As periodic checks are carried out onsite by installers, Costa Verde is able to ensure that all products are being maintained.
A spokesperson from Costa Verde said: “We’re already seeing the benefits of our new safety devices from Hochiki Europe, which have reduced our energy consumption and carbon emissions.”
Dan Bon, regional sales manager at Hochiki Europe said: “It’s fantastic to see Costa Verde benefitting both financially and environmentally through the installation of our FIREscape and FIREwave systems. Following the recent climate conference in Paris, corporate environmental responsibility is at the top of the agenda for businesses in Europe.”
The systems were installed by Portuguese electrical contractors, Unifogo. A spokesperson from the company said: “Hochiki Europe’s devices were ideally suited for this largescale contract. The fact that the FIREwave systems don’t require complex cabling and are easy to install allowed us to complete the works ahead of schedule.”
The FIREscape solution considers the useful life of the entire emergency lighting system, from manufacture and installation, right through to recycling. The system is produced from fully recyclable materials, and incorporates LEDs that reduce its impact on the environment to a minimum, the makers add.
Visit the Hochiki Europe website: www.hochikieurope.com/firescape or www.hochikieurope.com/firewave.
