The warehouse is a vital part of the supply chain. It bridges the gap between the production of goods and their consumption, allowing goods to be stored securely and – when needed – picked, packed and distributed to their final destination. In the last five years, the rise of the UK warehousing sector has been pivotal in supporting the growth of online retailers, manufacturers and logistics companies and has opened the door to thousands of new jobs. In the turbulent twists and turns of the economy, the warehousing sector remains a national success story, with retailers continuing to invest heavily in their warehouse estate to meet the rapid increase in consumer demand. In our latest blog, Greg Lambert, Sales Director at Chubb, explores the current challenges warehouses are facing in a booming marketplace and explains why it is crucial to regularly review and monitor fire safety systems to prevent fire risks.

Warehouse growth

According to an Office of National Statistics (ONS)1 analysis, the number of business premises used for logistics and warehousing in the UK has almost doubled in the last decade. In 2021, the number of UK business premises classified as transport and storage was 88% higher than in 2011 and 21% higher than in 2019. Last year industrial and logistics take-up reached almost 4 million sq. ft. – an increase of 33% relative to 2021, according to a report by Colliers, global leaders in real estate management2 – and this has largely been driven by the e-commerce boom. We are seeing more warehouses in the UK today, and the trend is leaning towards building bigger too. There has been a staggering 242% increase in units of 1m+ square feet, with the average unit now being 340,000 square feet, a 56.68% increase compared to 2015 statistics.3 But such rapid growth has created an obstacle for supply chains – a shortage of available warehouse space. In Q3 2020, Amazon accounted for one-third of the take-up of warehouse space for the year, a total of 11.5 million square feet.4 Other e-commerce retailers have similarly been quick to snap up new units. Where retailers have been unable to “buy new”, they have been forced to adapt their existing estate, which can be both costly and presents great challenges when trying to run a 24/7/365 operation.

Warehouse fire risks

At Chubb, we understand that warehouses present a dynamic environment under constant pressure to adapt to change. With that change comes the need to regularly reassess operations to ensure that all processes and the systems installed are fit for purpose –including fire safety systems. A warehouse can pose varying challenges depending on the age and condition of the estate. With older buildings, the primary risks often relate to building materials and old systems, for instance, partially wooden structures, asbestos roofing, and old wiring and lighting. With new builds, the high level of automated technology and robotics and the introduction of modern EV forklifts with lithium battery charging points can present a hazard if fire safety systems are not properly considered and strategically placed and staff are not given sufficient training. A prime example is Ocado’s flagship distribution centre. In 2019, the warehouse burned for four days and it took 200 firefighters to extinguish the blaze. The subsequent enquiry found that the fire had spread because the detection system failed and staff had turned off the sprinklers. In this instance, Ocado managed to rebuild and re-open its site, but that is not the case for 70% of businesses that suffer a major fire. Some never re-open, and for those that do, they close within three years of the fire. 5

Increase in warehouse fires

This just illustrates one example, but research and analysis by insurer Zurich UK highlights a dramatic spike in warehouse fires in recent years.6 During 2021-2022 the number of warehouse and bulk storage fires soared by a quarter, with 322 blazes compared to 256 during 2020-2021. While the number of accidental fires climbed by 21% (from 228 to 276), the number of deliberate blazes increased by an alarming 64% (from 28 to 46.) It is thought that the shift to adapting older buildings without sufficient new space is largely to blame for the increase in warehouse fires as, naturally, older buildings pose a greater fire risk. Interestingly, despite the 3,400 warehouse blazes attended by fire crews between 2010 and 2021, 49% did not have fire alarms, and just over 6% had sprinkler systems installed.

Fire safety considerations

When assessing the fire safety needs of a warehouse, it is essential to consider the age, scale and access to the estate – warehouses can be hugely diverse in their set-up, so no one solution fits all. High-bay warehouses, for instance, should refrain from installing sprinklers on the roofs and eaves. As you can imagine, the deluge of a sprinkler system could destroy vast amounts of stock. The efficiency of a warehouse is often based on the number of available pallet spaces, so if you have a sprinkler system, quite often you lose the top pallet space across your racking – as putting a pallet space on top of the racking could be too close to the sprinkler head. In a large warehouse, this could mean losing 100s, if not 1000s, of pallet spaces. So, in this scenario, a more viable solution would be to install additional fire extinguishers or beam detectors. Another consideration is maintenance and servicing. Conventional fire safety systems can often be installed up at height, making it difficult for engineers to access sprinkler heads and smoke detectors, as most engineers are trained to work from the floor. In this scenario, aspiration systems should be considered – a series of pipework that takes the smoke detection up into the eaves, but the actual control panel is down at ground level, so engineers can easily access it.

Fire prevention tips

UK fire safety legislation requires all business owners to take the necessary precautions to prevent fire risk to their premises. In England and Wales, the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 places the legal duties on anyone controlling a building – the Responsible Person – to undertake a fire risk assessment and put in place and maintain general fire precautions. Those responsible for a premises in Scotland must adhere to the Fire (Scotland) Act 2005 and The Fire Safety (Scotland) Regulations 2006. For warehouse owners, some of the common fire safety precautions that should be considered include the following:

• Fire Risk Assessments – a fire risk assessment should be performed annually by a competent person or more frequently if a premises has undergone major changes.
• Fire Alarms – fire alarms are often the first indication of a fire incident and offer an effective way to quickly alert people of potential danger.
• Fire Extinguishers – the correct extinguisher class should be installed and kept in good working order, and suitable training should be given to staff. Hence, they feel confident in selecting the right extinguisher in the event of a fire incident.
• Fire Doors – fire doors can slow the spread of fire and smoke and protect key evacuation routes.
• Sprinkler Systems – depending on the warehouse type, sprinkler systems can offer an effective solution for quickly extinguishing a blaze.
• Fire Signage – photoluminescent signs can help highlight dangers and provide instructions concerning fire safety for those working in warehouses.
• Emergency Lighting – installing emergency lighting can illuminate safe exit routes in the event of a fire.
• Maintenance of Equipment – all machinery, from automated handling equipment to forklifts, should undergo regular maintenance to identify faults before they become a hazard.
• PAT Testing – PAT Testing should be carried out regularly on all portable equipment to ensure it remains in good condition and to help identify potential hazards before they occur.
• Fire Safety Training – a competent person (or persons, depending on the size of your estate) should be nominated and given suitable fire safety training to give them the knowledge and skills to carry out their role in line with legislation.

Tailored solutions

Building on over 200 years of innovation, our specialist teams at Chubb have the expertise to deliver a comprehensive range of fire safety solutions designed to suit the scale and complexity of your warehouse estate. But our expertise does not stop there – we are equally skilled in providing bespoke security solutions. In addition, our extensive branch network of engineers is backed up by our NSI-accredited Alarm Receiving Centres (ARCs), giving you complete confidence that your warehouses are being monitored 24/7/365. If your estate has grown rapidly in recent years, chances are you have multiple suppliers for your fire safety and security equipment. This lack of consistency in procurement makes it difficult to control costs, with different risk assessments and maintenance schedules to keep on top of your different equipment and ensure staff training at your multiple locations is kept up to date. Using a single trusted, strategic partner, like Chubb, for all your fire safety and security needs can build peace of mind, mitigate risk and, ultimately, offer you a more cost-effective and future-proof solution. Fire safety solution for London port Chubb has an impressive and diverse portfolio of warehouse contracts; just one example is London’s largest port on the north bank of the River Thames. The port is integral to the UK’s import and export activities. The site spans 1,000 acres and features 56 operational berths, 31 independent working terminals, 10.2 kilometres of quay, and 5 million square feet of warehouse space. The complex site sees containers, bulk commodities, and roll-on/roll-off shipments pass through the port at an annual throughput value of £8.7 billion. The port’s grain terminal, one of the largest combined import and export grain facilities in the UK, posed additional complexities due to its harsh and potentially explosive environment. In addition to those complexities, the customer had an ageing system that needed upgrading to enhance safety measures. Chubb first conducted thorough fire risk assessments to fully understand the site’s hazards and then initiated the replacement of the outdated fire system. Considering the distinct demands presented by the grain terminal’s surroundings, Chubb’s team of specialists created a one-of-a-kind approach. Chubb installed a suite of low-voltage, flame-proof solutions. The lower power requirements from each device meant they could be installed on longer cable runs to best serve the site. Four control panels were installed and connected 110 detectors, 90 intrinsically safe call points for the explosive atmosphere ATEX areas, 85 explosion-proof sounders (EX Horn Speakers), and a bespoke Public Address and Voice Alarm (PAVA) speaker system housed in a dedicated rack. The devices were tailored to the port’s needs and ensured comprehensive coverage across the vast infrastructure. Chubb completed the installation in phases to accommodate the customer’s budget, spreading the system replacement over five years. Each year, Chubb worked diligently to replace portions of the outdated system, ensuring a seamless transition and minimal disruption to the port’s operations. By choosing Chubb as its trusted partner, the customer benefited from extensive resources and technical expertise to design and install a unique solution unlike any other project Chubb has implemented.