Warwickshire Fire & Rescue Service have made an appeal to businesses in the area to "Think Sprinklers" after a major factory fire earlier this month.

Deputy Chief Fire Officer of Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service Gary Phillips told business leaders that by installing automatic sprinkler they would not only protect lives but also potentially save the future of their business.

"Again we have seen a fire in a major industrial building where sprinklers were not fitted. Fitting sprinklers can mean the difference between a few days clean-up and a firm being devastated and going completely out of business," he said.

"National statistics show that 80 per cent of businesses destroyed by fire will not open again. This can mean redundancies and hardship - a huge impact on our local economy. It amazes me that industrial businesses have no legal requirement to fit sprinklers, when fitting them can mean the difference between staying in business and going bust."

Millions of pounds' worth of stock was lost when the fire swept through Ney Ltd, in Middlemarch Business Park, Siskin Drive, last Wednesday [8 Aug] and it took more than 100 firefighters several days to put out the blaze.

For more information visit www.warwickshire.gov.uk/fireandrescue 

Posted 15/08/2012 by richard.hook@pavpub.com