Fire is generally not something you want at your greenhouse horticulture company, so it's a good thing there are an increasing number of innovative fire safety solutions for greenhouses on the market. Insurers are of course happy with this development, potentially saving them a lot of money in the long run.
"The emergence of fire retardant screens already increases the fire safety in greenhouses enormously. A nice addition to this is the development and certification of a fire-retardant soil cover," says Willem Snoeker of Interpolis. "The drip catcher for sulfur containers also contributes to fire safety. We are pleased with these developments."
Fire-retardant soil cloths
The introduction of fire retardant screens was already a step forward in preventing fires in greenhouses from spreading at lightning speed. These screens are increasingly being used, and with positive results. The chance of a large fire is getting lower and that's of course positive for the continuity of greenhouse horticulture companies.
A next step is the recent introduction of a fire-retardant ground cloth by Erfgoed. "Their GreyCover fabric is certified with the highest quality standard for fire safety and is now available for greenhouse horticulture. A great development. Interpolis is pleased with the development of this ground cloth, which can prevent large fires and, in particular, limit damage caused by smoke and soot."
Drip catcher for sulfur containers
If a sulfur evaporator isn't hanging perfectly vertical, the container is too full or has been damaged, sulfur can end up on a heating element. And since the temperature of the heater is above the auto-ignition temperature of sulfur, the sulfur will burn as it falls down. This can set fire to the ground cloth, the crop or any other combustible materials in the vicinity.
In collaboration with Peter van der Sar, a technical specialist from Interpolis, Nivola developed a drip catcher that solves all of these problems. "Adding this drip catcher removes another cause of fire and crop damage,” says Peter.
Source: Interpolis