Realizing the safety potential of fire protection coatings

Intumescent fire protection coatings could be all that the steel in a building needs to prevent itself from buckling and failing in a fire.Every year in Pakistan multiple commercial fire incidents take place, as per the data provided by Fire Protection Association of Pakistan (FPAP). In just 2017, 138 human lives were affected out of which 35 were fatalities.

 AkzoNobel Pakistan offers Fire Protection Coatings under the brand names of ‘Interchar’ for Commercial Buildings and ‘Chartek’ for Oil & Gas Markets. Tested to the highest standards to complement fire safety objectives for both property protection and life safety. An in tumescent coating reacts to heat by swelling in a controlled manner to many times the original thickness to produce a carbonaceous char that acts as an insulating layer to protect that reduces the amount of heat transferred to the steel, thereby slowing down the time taken to reach the critical failure temperature. Different products are produced by AkzoNobel which have different ratings depending on the time required for the coating to maintain the steel temperature below the critical failure temperature.

 Mr. Andy Holt, Segment Manager – Protective Middle East Asia (MEA) explains “Fires are a threat to life, safety and building integrity. Fire can spread from one area of a building to another, rapidly engulfing areas that were not originally affected by the fire. Building structures may be weakened by the effects of fire and may collapse preventing escape and leading to a greater loss of life.Steel is an excellent building material, but it is weakened by fire and therefore needs to be protected. Unprotected steel exposed to a fire can reach very high temperatures in a short period of time. AkzoNobel’s range of intumescent coatings will protect this steel and may allow a fire crew time to save the building from collapse and rescue occupants”

 AkzoNobel Pakistan is working closely with the Fire Protection Association of Pakistan to spread awareness about passive fire safety in Pakistan.The Fire Protection Association of Pakistan (FPAP) is a voluntary and non-profit organization for promoting fire protection awareness and advancement.As part of its commitment,AkzoNobel Pakistan participated in the Fire Safety Asia International Conference and Exhibition, organized by FPAP which took place in Karachi Expo Centre from 25th – 27th Sept.

The three-day exhibition provided an extraordinary platform for all the stake holders of the industry to highlight cutting -edge services and products forfire & safety. Its purpose was to create opportunities for business to business alliances which allowed different parties to leverage their respective strengths for mutual benefit in this fast evolving industry. Mr. Andy Holt, Segment Manager – Protective Middle East Asia from AkzoNobel gave a presentation on the need of fire intumescent coatings and how AkzoNobel’s products play a vital role in protection from fire.