According to UK rural insurance specialist NFU Mutual, more than a third (37%) of UK farm fires were caused by faulty wiring. Around 23% of fires spread from a barn or the farmhouse itself. And it seems that farm fires are on the increase. What can you do to reduce the risk of fire breaking out on your farm? If you employ more than five people in your agricultural business, you are legally obliged to carry out a fire risk assessment and record the findings. Put our four tips to prevent barn fires into action, and your farm will be much less likely to appear in next year’s statistics!
As well as tragic animal and personal suffering, farm fires can also have major financial consequences. The main causes of fire are: short circuit, overheating, lightning strike, vermin or self-ignition of equipment. Farms are, inevitably, usually located outside towns and built-up areas, which means that the fire brigade's response times are longer than for a house fire. This makes it all the more important to invest in fire prevention precautions.
Tip 1: Electrical installation
Short circuit is one of the most common causes of fire. Voltage failure, overload and lightning strikes can also cause barn fires. For this reason, always place flammable equipment in a room separate from the animals. It’s recommended that you have your electrical installation checked regularly by a qualified fitter.
If you want to carry out a short visual inspection yourself, to identify any immediate risks, follow our checklist below.
- Each farm building should have its own protected circuit, which can be isolated from the mains
- The main power on/off controls should be outside the building
- All circuitry should have RCDs (residual current devices)
- Welding boxes and distribution boxes must be fitted with a lid
- Water pipes and central heating pipes must not run above a distribution box.
- Cables must not be clamped
- Loose pipes must not have been nailed down
- Make sure there are enough electrical sockets for your machinery; adaptors and gangs can overload and cause fires
- Reduce the amount of dust and combustible loose materials.
Tip 2: Fire alarms
Where possible, install fire detectors in all buildings and in the areas of highest risk. There are different types of detectors for sale:
- Smoke detector: measures light and uses it to register whether there is smoke in the air
- Heat detector: measures ambient temperature and sudden differences
- CO detector: measures carbon monoxide
- Gas detector: detects gases other than carbon monoxide.
Always pay attention to where you want to install the detector and under what circumstances. Detectors are available either as battery-operated detectors (so-called autonomous detectors) or as detectors connected to mains power. If you are planning a new farm building, or a new electrical installation, don't forget to include fire detectors that are connected to mains power in the building plan, which will save you having to replace batteries every year. There are also smart smoke detectors on the market, which send alerts to your mobile phone.
When do you replace a fire detector?
On average the lifespan of a fire detector is 10 years. They should be tested at least annually, as any batteries will need to be replaced more often. Always read the manufacturer's instructions.
Useful to know: Always install a smoke detector with the indicator light nearest to the entrance - you don't have to walk through the whole room to see if the detector still works.
Tip 3: Extinguishing systems inside and outside the house
Often public fire extinguishing water supplies are not available. If you cannot use a public water supply, try to install one on your own site. Maybe you can install a fire hydrant (or have one installed) together with nearby neighbours. If you do not have a fire hydrant or a natural supply of water, it is recommended that you install a static water tank, within 100 metres of any buildings containing livestock.
You can also make provisions in stables and barns, with automatic sprinkler systems. These systems react to temperature and are connected to the water mains.
Make sure you have enough fire extinguishers for each building, and of the right type for the materials stored within them. Kramp has several types of fire extinguishers in its range:
- Foam extinguisher: filled with water and foam to suffocate the source of the fire
- Powder extinguisher: combination of chemicals and salt. Not suitable for extinguishing electrical equipment.
- CO2 fire extinguisher: also known as a carbon dioxide snow extinguisher. Predominantly used for electrical fires. Note that the released gas is suffocating for humans and animals and the cold can cause burns.
Tip 4: Pest control
Pests, especially rodents, are a common cause of stable fires. They nibble through the cable insulation, causing short circuits. In order to improve fire safety, it is important that rodents are properly exterminated, and since 2016 all supply of rodenticide products are governed by the UK Rodenticide Stewardship Scheme. You can also have training to gain the Rodent Control on Farms certificate. Explore our range of products for dealing with problem rodent infestations.
It should really go without saying, but it is also important that open fires are never started anywhere near buildings, trees or flammable crop fields, and they should never be left unattended.
If you would like more information on fire safety on your farm, DEFRA has produced a handy guide, available to download here. Your local fire brigade will be only too happy to help you with a fire risk assessment and inspection of your properties. For product advice, please do get in touch with your Kramp account manager or product specialist with any questions.
