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INTRODUCTION

Fires impose significant costs on the economy. In 2003, the total cost was estimated at £7.7 billion for England and Wales, equivalent to approximately 0.9% of the gross value added of the economy. The average cost of fire in a commercial building was estimated at £58 000, of which £45 000 related to the cost of fire damage to property.

Sprinklers are complex engineered systems that require specialist understanding and support. Installed throughout a building, they are relatively inconspicuous (Figure 1) and appear dormant, but are fully charged and operate on demand. In the event of a fire, the sprinkler closest to the fire detects it and sprays water onto it. A relatively small amount of water can be used to control and suppress a fire at an early stage in its development, when compared with fire service operations on fully developed fires.

The installation of a sprinkler system is not always an essential requirement. Traditionally, sprinklers have been recommended by insurers for the protection of property and business operations in manufacturing, warehousing and large commercial buildings. More recently, there has been an increase in the use of sprinklers to meet the Building Regulations 2000 (England and Wales) as sprinklers are recommended in Approved Document B: Fire Safety - the fire safety document that supports the Building Regulations 2000, hereafter referred to as 'ADB' - for specific types of buildings and occupancies. Sprinklers are also specified by fire engineers to achieve life safety and property protection objectives for innovative building designs and to increase design freedoms. In the future, more sprinklers may be specified to meet the requirements of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005.

The cost benefits of sprinklers are only realised in the long term. Sprinklers are sometimes dismissed for building designs because of costs, complexities and aesthetics. Decisions need to take account of the whole picture, including reduced potential fire losses for the life of the building.