As a business owner or manager with a warehouse, the success of your company depends on keeping your inventory and supplies, as well as the building itself, safe from fire. Depending on what you’re storing, a fire could cause your business extensive financial harm costing you hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars in damage. You'll certainly lose business in the short term, and you may lose clients permanently as they find other companies to fulfill their needs. A fire could ultimately cost you your business as well as the livelihoods of your employees. As the fire burns, it could even cause the release of hazardous chemicals or fumes. In the worst-case scenario, a fire could cause your workers to be seriously injured or killed.

So how do you keep your warehouse and its contents protected from fire? Check out the following ultimate guide to choosing the right fire suppression services for your warehouse:

Determine Your Commodity Classifications

What you store in your warehouse can be categorized with the help of the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). You’ll need to consider not only the products in your warehouse but how they’re packaged, what they’re stored in, and the type of pallets they’re on. The classifications start at Class 1, which is the least hazardous level, and go through Class IV, and plastics are classed as Group A, B, or C.

Determining What You Need

Your classifications will help determine what type of sprinkler system you need. These systems use pipes and sprinkler heads to contain or put out a fire. Some are situated on the ceiling, while others can be put in between your storage racks. 

Your commodity classifications will also determine the kinds of fire extinguishers you’ll need to have available. If you have flammable metals in your warehouse, for example, you’ll need to keep Class D fire extinguishers on hand, which are made specifically for this purpose. 

Other Considerations

Your required fire suppression services will also be dictated by any particular regulations that govern your industry or jurisdiction. In addition, the company that provides your property insurance may have specific requirements they’ll want you to meet in order to have full coverage. The last thing you need is to have inadequate protection and then learn that your insurance company has denied coverage for the fire.

How We Can Help

Determining your fire suppression needs according to these classifications can be complicated, but we’re here to help you find out how to protect the items you store and more about what your warehouse fire suppression services needs are. We’ll then work within your budget to customize a sprinkler system and other elements of fire suppression that will best suit your needs. Contact Brothers Fire & Security today, and we’ll design, install, maintain, and train you and your employees on how to keep your warehouse, its contents, your business, and–most importantly–your employees safe.