Firewater Risk Assessment: Mitigating Contamination and Ensuring Compliance
Need for firewater risk assessment
Where a fire on site is extinguished using water, there is a danger that the water used for firefighting may become contaminated. A Firewater Risk Assessment is therefore necessary to determine whether there is such a danger and, if so, how firewater retention is to be affected.
Environmental Efficiency can determine the extent of any risk of contaminated firewater runoff and then determine retention volumes required and how best to provide this.
The need for firewater retention can possibly be avoided by reducing material inventories, using alternative substances, or reducing the fire load. Environmental Efficiency can advise on this.
Integrity assessment of containment
Large pharmaceutical or process chemical sites will generally have a firewater retention lagoon. Smaller sites may have kerbed yards for retention. These retention facilities will need to the inspected on a regular basis to ensure that they are watertight. This is normally by means of a hydrostatic test or a visual inspection. Hydrostatic testing will be the default method in Ireland, a visual inspection will be the default method in the UK.
Environmental Efficiency has extensive experience of firewater assessments and testing of such facilities both in Ireland and the UK.
Relevant standards
ISO/TR 26368: 2012 Environmental damage limitation from fire-fighting run-off
HSG 176: The storage of flammable liquids in tanks (UK Health and Safety Executive, 1998)
EPA Guidance on Retention Requirements for Firewater Run-off
Some of Our Clients
Hear What Our Customers Say
"George and his team supported the CBRE ESG Consultancy team on a number of commercial high profile WELL projects, targeting Gold or Platinum ratings within the UK and Ireland. Their knowledge and technical testing skills also supported us on BREEAM and Fitwel projects. It is always a pleasure to work with Environmental Efficiency as the team is very responsive, technically prepared and has years of experience in the testing industry.”
Giulia Mori
CBRE | ESG Consultancy
"I found Environmental Efficiency very professional in their approach and in their evaluations of the issues. Very efficient and cooperative with tight schedules. We would highly recommend Environmental Efficiency."
Fergus O’Keeffe
Kerry Mechanical Engineering, Ireland
"Since 2013, we have collaborated with Environmental Efficiency Consultants Ltd on a number of ‘resource efficiency’ projects. They have consistently demonstrated themselves to be very professional, client-oriented and project-focussed."
Dr Herb Castillo, Director
FuturoFirma Sustainability Consulting, UK
Glennon Brothers, Ireland
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Chris Martin
Alert Packaging, Ireland
"We have worked with Environmental Efficiency, and in particular Bob Sutcliffe, for the past 11 years. Environmental Efficiency have always provided us with good, practical advice. They are proactive in their approach which is important to us in dealing with the EPA and environmental matters on our site. They have also recently helped us obtain ISO accreditation. We would have no hesitation recommending Bob and his team."
David O’Connell
Woodfab Timber, Ireland
Sinead Cullen
Molex Ireland
John T. Burke
Burke Joinery, Ireland
"I came across your videos which were very useful for the ‘Management of Hazardous Materials and Processes’ module that I teach, which includes a section on containment. As many of our students have never worked in industry it always helps to have good visuals/videos to help explain material."
Edel Costello, Lecturer
Sligo IT, Ireland