SPECIAL REPORT – INSURANCE
Practical prevention TO MITIGATE FIRE-RISK, PEARL FIRE IS COMMITTED TO ACTING AS A WHOLE SOLUTION PROVIDER FOR THE WASTE AND RECYCLING SECTOR.
V
ictoria’s new environment protection legislation commenced in July, representing the most significant reform of the state’s environmental regulatory regime since the introduction of the Environment Protection Act 1970. The new legislation has a key focus on preventing risks of harm from pollution and waste rather than managing harms after they have occurred, and is modelled on occupational health and safety legislation. Some of the most significant changes include a general environmental duty. This requires all Victorians undertaking an activity with risks of harm to the environment and human health identify and implement reasonably practical means to eliminate or minimise these risks. As demonstrated by a series of high-impact fires at waste and recycling facilities in recent years, fire-risk is one of the most pressing issues facing the sector. While its impact on human and environmental health is key, fire-risk has economic implications as well, ranging from costs associated with fines, equipment and facility damage, to rising insurance premiums. To minimise these risks, Ian Collins, Pearl Fire National Sales Manager, says all facilities need to have a sound and frequently validated Tactical Fire Plan in place. “We have over 25 years’ experience developing and implementing these plans for industry across the globe. A sound Tactical Fire Plan should
22 / WMR / July 2021
incorporate all of the emergency response criteria,” he says. Pearl Fire was established in May 2008 to provide a whole solution capability as a global specialist in the manufacturing, installation and distribution of fire protection, fire prevention and firefighting products and services. “As a whole solution provider, Pearl Fire builds the best fit-for-purpose products for waste and recycling facilities,” Collins says. “We design, manufacture, build, install, commission, service and maintain firefighting equipment to suit the demands of the waste disposal and recycling industries.” The company also provides protection and prevention for the oil and gas, petrochemical and oil refining industries, as well as aviation, emergency services, marine and offshore, department of defence, defence contractors, and defence industry companies. “We manufacture a range of locally designed and custom-built mobile firefighting equipment including mobile trailers, skid mounted monitors, nozzles, fixed and remote-controlled monitoring systems,” Collins explains. “We have provided fire protection systems into many companies specialising in the waste disposal and recycling industry, and can provide a fluorine free Class A firefighting foam which has the capacity of penetrating deep into solid waste, timber, tyre piles and many other non-liquid products.” By reducing the surface tension of water, the foam is at least five
times more efficient than plain water, Collins says. He adds that given each site is unique, Pearl Fire can design, build and install systems to suit tailored needs and requirements. “Pearl Fire maintains and stocks an extensive range of world leading and cutting-edge products that are sourced from the USA, Europe and Australia,” he says. “We are the Australia, New Zealand, Pacific area stockists and distributors for the BIO-EX range of fluorine free firefighting foams, Williams Fire & Hazard Control fire monitors and nozzles, locally Pearl Fire provides fire protection systems and equipment to waste and recycling companies across Australia.
