Health and Safety for Beginners Forums

I am working on a project in a very tall building which is fully sprinklered.

In addition to 101 control measures we are developing to avoid an unwanted sprinkler activation, has anybody any experience of putting together an emergency sprinkler spill kit?

This would be available - perhaps on a trolley - to immediately attend an deal with mitigating the effects of a sprinkler activation

I am thinking of plastic sheeting, wet vacuum cleaner, dollies, and other flood protection equipment all in one place to be rapidly deployed

What other kit should I consider? Any suggestions would be gratefully received

Not something I've ever thought of, so you are going to get a 'stream of consciousness' reply...

There are those pipe-freezing kits that plumbers will sometimes use in an emergency. No doubt pressurised gas on a movable emergency cart would come with its own issues, and I've a suspicion that once the water is flowing it's too late for them to work, but it might be worth checking out?

More everyday: where are the shut-off valves, are they accessible, do staff know how to access them (but not too easily) and should there be a map to the valves in your kit?

Also also, if this building is as tall as you are suggesting, would one kit even be enough? You might want three or four spaced out - as getting from ground to the 30th floor is going to take a while, and that's assuming that your sprinkler activation doesn't stop your lifts from functioning normally...

Finally: PPE? A few plastic waterproof cagoules (you get those disposable ones that fold up to A6 size) should be with the kit if you are expecting staff to walk under a spraying or dripping stagnant water system. Not sure what the footwear options would be, but something necessary there as well.

The working assumption is that the spill kits will be used after isolation of sprinkler supplies and by then any stagnant water will be well and truly flushed out and diluted onto the floors below.

Definitely not just one kit. In my imagination we will have several pairs of kits. a trolley with plastic sheeting and telescopic ladder. And a wheely bin with damming dollies and piping to divert residual water flow into the wheely bin.

PPE may be an issue, but we have fire warden boxes and will place one size fits all kit in hose on alternative floors. However, this is very much a work in progress so I am grateful for your input