Data Re: Fires at Industrial or Manufacturing Sites

Industry and manufacturing are what make the economies of the world go round. Without these vital businesses, the economy can come to a grinding halt, and a standstill of that kind would be catastrophic on both macro and micro levels. In New York City, which is considered the economic capital of the world, this is especially important. Making sure manufacturing and industrial locations are protected from devastating fires is of supreme importance. Today we’re going to look at instances of manufacturing and industrial fires and see what we can learn from them in order to prevent them.

The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) is a vital resource of information, and thanks to them, we have data to study. They recently published their study of industrial and manufacturing fires that took place from 2011 – 2015.

During this time period, there were approximately 37,900 fires of this kind every year. As a result, 16 civilians lost their lives and 273 civilians were injured annually. While these losses are tragic, another shocking statistic emerged: every year, businesses sustained $1.2 billion in property loss and damages from fires of this kind.

Categorizing these fires was a little more challenging: 26, 000 fires were considered unclassified or outside fires. Structural fires occurred 7700 times and vehicle fires occurred 3410 times. While structural fires accounted for 20% of the industrial and manufacturing fires, the outcomes from those fires had the most negative results: 49% of civilian deaths, 80% of civilian injuries, and 67% of property loss and damages.

When we study the causes of these structural fires, lighting and electrical issues were a factor for 24% of the total loss and heating played a role in 15% of those fires.

As we study the other categories of fires, outside or unclassified fires occurred 71% of the time with $265 million in property damage; vehicle fires occurred 9% of the time resulting in $125 million in property loss.

While statistics paint a limited picture for us, we are able to fill in some of the blanks and draw the conclusion that fires at industrial or manufacturing sites have devastating consequences on both large and small scales.  Recovering from a loss of this nature could take an enormous amount of time, in addition to the loss of revenue during this time period.

It’s absolutely critical that business owners keep their business properties and sites protected from the threat of fire. To be negligent in this area is to expose your business to incredible losses should a tragic fire break out. NYC Flameproofing is here to protect your business and would love to offer our flameproofing services, which can greatly minimize the devastating effects of a fire. We have been protecting NYC for over 5 decades and we would be honored to add you to our list of satisfied customers. If you have flameproofing needs or questions, please call today. We would be happy to speak with you and offer a complimentary quote as well: (800) 291-0904

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