Unfortunately, it is not uncommon to hear of a breakout of fire in a pig unit resulting in the destruction of millions of euros worth of livestock and buildings. A fire in itself is obviously devastating to a pig business because the livestock in a particular building can be wiped out. But the domino effect afterwards can have huge implications.

Each building in a piggery has a particular function. There are houses designed specifically for dry sows, farrowing, weaning, finishing, etc.

If a fire destroys one of these houses, there are huge implications for the entire production system. It means a link in the chain is broken and animals cannot be moved on to the next stage in the cycle. The costs of interrupting the relatively short production system are extremely significant.

Most importantly, the risk to human life in piggeries where fire safety is not up to scratch cannot be underestimated. Many large piggeries have a number of workers on site every day of the week and their safety should be seriously considered.

Hazards and prevention measures

One of the main reasons so many pig units are prone to fire is the building material used in their construction. Younger pigs require the provision of heat for their survival and feed conversion rates.

Without a good level of insulation in pig houses, there would be a lot of heat wasted through the walls and ceilings and running costs would increase. This necessity for large quantities of insulation is where the problem originates.

In the past, there was not much consideration given to the fire ratings of building materials such as insulation. To make matters worse, much of the insulation may be fully exposed and could easily catch fire with the slightest ignition source. Exposed Styrofoam insulation is common in ceilings in the majority of pig units and it is combustible.

Newer linings

It has been noted that some of the newer composite panel linings and insulation materials are even more combustible than Styrofaom and allow for the rapid spread of fire. The presence of ignition sources throughout pig units heightens the risk of fire.

Ignition sources come in many forms, such as electrical installations, electrical heating and light fittings. Risk manager with FBD Insurance Ciaran Roche says once farmers become aware of the potential hazards on their farms, they can implement prevention measures.

Electrical installations

Hazards

If electrical installations and services are not installed safely and maintained in good condition, fires are inevitable. In many units, electrical fittings are fitted directly on insulation or insulated panels, which poses a significant fire risk. In the event of an electrical fault or overheat, a fire is inevitable due to the direct contact to combustible insulation.

Safety measures

Competent electricians should be used and all electrical installations should be inspected, tested and certified in compliance with ETCI national rules for electrical installations every three years.

Electrical installations should not be fitted directly to combustible insulation or insulated panels with combustible insulation. They should be either fitted to a concrete wall or attached to a non-combustible material on a composite panel.

Electrical installations should be either fitted to a concrete wall or attached to a non-combustible material on a composite panel.

Heating systems

Hazards

Direct heating systems, such as infrared lights, electric blow heaters, electric element heaters, etc, pose a fire risk if they are located too close to flammable materials. Maintenance of these systems is essential, as well as consideration of positioning around flammable materials.

Safety measures

Mesh protectors should be in place on all infrared lamps and light fixtures need to be securely held in place. Additionally, do not use paper shreddings under heat lamps. Electric blow heaters should be cleaned out regularly to prevent a buildup of dust. Electric heat pads should be inspected and tested at least annually. Consider installing an indirect heating system, which has less chance of causing a fire.

Light fittings

Hazards

The old choker starter switch florescent light fittings are prone to over-heating and the fire risk associated with them is high. Lights fitted directly to insulation are also of concern.

Safety measures

Electronic ballast florescent light fittings or LED light fittings with an IP rating (IP65 or 66) should be used. Always avoid fitting directly to combustible insulation (they should be hung a safe distance away from combustible materials).

Boilers

Hazards

Boilers located under the eve of an exposed Styrofoam insulated roof and located in unsuitable building structures.

Safety measures

The boiler house should be constructed of non-combustible materials and located at least 10m away from the pig units.

Hot works

Hazards

The use of welders and blow lamps inside the building is a real risk.

Safety measures

A hot work permit to work system should be used for all hot works (eg cutting, grinding or welding during standard maintenance or repairs).

Ventilation

Hazards

Vents inside pig units often have electrical fittings inside that can fail.

Safety measures

There should be a preventative maintenance programme for the entire ventilation system. There have been incidents where fires have started in ridge fans because of improper fitting or poor maintenance.

Smoking

Hazards

With the presence of both flammable gases and materials, there are many risks with smoking inside piggeries.

Safety measures

A safe defined smoking area is essential (for employees and third parties).

Mill operation (grinders)

Hazards

A mill located in close proximity to pig houses is a high risk, as they are many sources of ignition in the mill, such as grinders and electrical installations, and due to the fact that they mainly operate when the site is unoccupied.

Safety measures

Ideally, the mill should be located 15m away from other buildings. Good housekeeping in the mill is essential, the electrical installations must be maintained in good condition and be of the appropriate IP ratings. Ideally, spark and/or heat detectors should be fitted on grinders and the mill should have a monitored automatic fire alarm system fitted.

Pests

Hazards

Vermin such as rats and mice can potentially cause a lot of damage to wires and cables in places.

Safety measures

Good rodent control is essential, as many fires are caused as a result of rodents eating electrical cabling and fixtures.

Conclusion

Ciaran says: “Farmers should carry out a fire safety risk assessment at design stage and they should consider constructing buildings using non-combustible materials, such as concrete, and using insulation materials that have adequate fire-resistant ratings. Spatial gaps and separating buildings with compartment walls should also be considered at this stage, as this is an effective way of limiting the spread of fire. Farmers should strongly consider splitting large houses, such as the dry sow houses, so as to prevent a total loss of operation in the event of a fire.”

Insurance

Stewart Gavin from FBD Insurance said the catastrophic losses incurred with fire incidents may fundamentally jeopardise the continuation of your business where the sums insured or insurance protections are not adequate.

“It is vital that the policy of insurance is set up to include the core protections that will ensure that you are financially able to recover from a loss. The features of a piggery mean that losses, when they occur, tend to be large and more likely the reach the sum insured limits than in many other enterprises,” explained Gavin.

“For example, if your facility has 1,000 sows, you could expect your overall reinstatement costs to be in the region of €4.25m (ready reckoner of €4,250 per sow construction costs). If your facility is insured at values lower than this reckoner, it is a good indicator that you should be speaking to your adviser,” suggested Gavin.

Gavin said all piggery units should have appropriate business interruption insurances to ensure the ability to trade during and after significant losses.

Farmer view

The Irish Farmers Journal visited Killee Pig Farm Ltd in Mitchelstown, Co Cork, to discuss the importance of improved facilities to combat the threat of fires on pig farms.

Company directors Conor and Maurice O’Brien said that there has been very little investment on pig farms in the last decade because of depressed prices and large borrowings. They said construction work carried out in the past was done with little knowledge of fire risks and that has been a major factor with the current issues.

“As an industry, we are beginning to realise the need for investment and upgrades, otherwise insurance companies will turn us away,” Conor explained.

The O’Briens say the current TAMS II grants are a step in the right direction for upgrading existing buildings with new energy efficient lighting and insulation.

However, they believe more help is needed to improve facilities with more emphasis on fire prevention.

“With the slight improvement in our fortunes in terms of price, now is a good time for the Government to support the building of new houses to replace old ones that are no longer fit for purpose,” argued Conor.

Maurice said grant aid should only be paid for replacing existing buildings, otherwise the temptation will be there to keep expanding facilities rather than making improvements to existing systems.

“The current TAMS investment ceiling of €80,000 is limiting when you consider the cost of building a new pig house. A ceiling of €300,000 or higher would be more realistic if the Department was serious about instigating change for the good,” he said.