Property and business fire protection

Insulated panels

Publication date April 2007

I N S U L A T E D

P A N E L S

Constructive Thinking

Executive summary

Insurers are demanding the use of insurer approved products in building construction. External cladding and internal panel systems need to be compliant with Factory Mutual (FM) approval requirements in most projects.

Recent research confirms that the real insurance fire losses are associated with the use of unsuitable insulated internal panel systems.

The construction market has been generally confused about the suitability of EPS cores in particular resulting from conflicting information, misinformation and misreporting. This document aims to address some of these issues.

Certification for building, cladding and fire protection Systems is necessary to facilitate efficient letting, re-letting and sale of the building.

There are key differences between panel core types. Typical types of core include polystyrene (EPS), mineral fibre, polyurethane (PUR) and more recently non-approved polyisocyanurate (PIR) and FM approved polyisocyanurate. Each core performs differently in fire.

An important legal precedent was set in an important High Court Judgement in London where an architect was held liable for a fire loss resulting from the specification of polystyrene (EPS) panels.

Kingspan has been working closely with brokers, insurers and re-insurers to assess the performance of polyisocyanurate (PIR) cores.

In recent years insurance companies have encountered considerable loss as a result of large fires particularly in the food and drinks industry. The vast majority involved EPS cored panel systems used as internal structures.

The real life fire performance record of external envelope and internal insulated panels with FM-approved PIR cores is exemplary.

Kingspan

external roof, wall and internal

compartmentation systems are FM certified and insurer approved.

One of Kingspans many

constructions

Contents / introduction

Introduction Myths and misinformation Case study Tip Top bakery Case study Tegel Slaughter House Building Codes Australia national fire regulations Insurer certification requirements Comparative fire test data EPS Comparative fire test data PIR Moving forward fire risk assessment Moving forward FM-approved PIR insulated panels Insurer approved and certified systems Frequently asked questions (FAQs) Professional indemnity insurance cover Introduction

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This guide aims to give designers and specifiers a simple and authoritative source of information on property and business fire protection. The guide covers insulated panel systems (often referred to as composite panels or insulated panels) used externally for roofs and walls and internally for temperature controlled enviornments. The building insurance market has been confused by misinformation, misreporting and myths. This document addresses these issues. Building regulations concerning fire are found in the Building Code of Australia (BCA). Testing requirements are split between reaction to fire tests and resistance to fire tests.
Kingspan PIR insulated wall panels

Myths and misinformation

The non-combustibility myth Many myths abound about the non-combustibility of panel systems and core materials. The simplest way of looking at this issue is to address the insulation core and the panel system separately. The insulation core The definition of non-combustibility according to Australian Standards can be found in AS1530-1-1994. This is a small scale furnace test where the sample is burnt at a high temperature and contribution to temperature rise and flaming is assessed. Polystyrene (EPS), polyurethane (PUR), polyisocyanurate (PIR) and most rock fibre cores used in composite panels are believed to be combustible according to this test. Rock fibre can be defined as combustible because of the relatively high levels of organic binders used to glue the fibres together. The panel system Adhesives are used to attach the steel facing to the insulation with EPS and rock fibre panels. In the latter, the adhesive is normally PUR and levels of adhesive can be significant to ensure a good bond and minimise the risk of delamination. As a result, panels with a rock fibre core cannot be rated as completely non-combustible. Combustibility of real-life panel installations All panel systems have varying levels of combustibility because all contain combustible materials. The only reliable way of assessing panel system combustibility is test the entire system. Tests and standards such as FM 4880, LPS 1181 and LPS 1208 and are ideal in this respect. The levels and grades of performance defined by these tests allow the specific panel system performance to be matched to the specific risk. The real issue is not directly related to the combustibility of the panel system or core all have combustible elements. It is related to how a specific system will perform in a real fire scenario and whether it acts as a noncombustible building element by not contributing to fire propagation. Ignitability of fire rated PIR insulant Any insulation panel system is likely to be damaged or modified after installation and this may lead to exposure of the core. For instance, a hole might be cut in the panel for new pipework, ductwork or electrical services. Such modifications are often not finished correctly and are perceived to provide an easy entry point for fire. How big is the risk? Insurer-approved PIR is very difficult to ignite. When a high intensity propane torch is applied to exposed PIR after the metal facings have been removed, the propane torch generates a temperature of over 1000C. The photographs on this page show the effect after 30 minutes exposure. The PIR forms a strong char that protects the core foam from ignition. When the burner is removed after 30 minutes the core self-extinguishes. Ignitability of polystyrene EPS is a thermoplastic. Heat will cause the material to melt and form a liquid. This liquid is highly flammable and easily ignites. This performance is in stark contrast to PIR thermosetting material which forms a char.
Section cut through the panel showing no fire propagation after 30 minutes After 30 minutes at over 1000C

Case study the Tip Top bakery fire

Major fire in Australian food production facility The following extract from a NSW Fire Brigade report on the Tip Top Bakery Fire in Fairfield, NSW on 2nd June, 2002 acknowledges the fire susceptibility of polystyrene (EPS) foam insulation panels: Polystyrene foam is thermoplastic, that is, it softens when heated. Thermoplastic materials tend to melt and shrink away from heat long before ignition. This melting causes voids that reduce the structural strength of the panels. As the panels buckle, the joints tend to open introducing flame and air into the core. This results in internal flame spread between the panels and throughout the structure and there is likely to be a rapid loss of structural strength and subsequent collapse of walls and ceilings. Polyurethane (PUR) and polyisocyanurate (PIR) foams are both thermosetting materials, which means that they do not melt, flow or drip when exposed to fire. Rather, they form a strong carbonaceous char that helps to protect the foam core and prevent flame spread within the panels themselves. It would appear that the sandwich panels utilised in the construction of the Tip Top factory were constructed with EPS insulation. Construction using EPS sandwich panels presents several major difficulties for fire fighting:

The loss of adequate structural integrity and subsequent likelihood of significant building collapse; The combustibility of the insulation material adds substantially to the fire load and results in the production of large amounts of heat, smoke and toxic products;

Fire spread can be hidden within the panels, and This fire spread can be rapid, leading to conditions that favour flashover. There have been incidents in other countries where

firefighters have lost their lives whilst engaged in offensive firefighting tactics in structures constructed with EPS sandwich panels. Firefighters need to be aware of the inherent dangers of this type of lightweight construction. Incident commanders must be aware that firefighting in these conditions can be extremely hazardous with early collapse, high fire load and massive smoke production being major factors affecting firefighter safety.

Reference: http://www.gowgates.com.au/documents/Tiptopbakeryfire.pdf

The Tip Top bakery fire site at Fairfield, Sydney

Case study Tegel Slaughter House

Poly fire makes history in New Zealand The Tegel Poultry Processing Plant in the Christchurch suburb of Hornby was destroyed by fire on 5 January, 2007. The total losses are estimated to be between NZ$50m and NZ$100m. When firefighters arrived the plant was overrun by flames and thick black smoke was pouring into the dawn sky, reported 3News. The building is constructed from polystyrene insulated panelling and the risk of collapse prevented fire crews from going inside. TVNZ was also on the spot to record the event: The firefighters were battling 20m high flames, the fires ferocity kept the first ground crew at a distance. They took to their new multi million dollar aerial towers. Ten fire engines and more than 50 firefighters were called to the blaze, meaning every available firefighter in the city was on site, said the report. The Fire Services Regional Commander Rob Saunders said: They were supported by a number of firefighters from volunteer brigades from surrounding areas and call back staff were called back in to provide fire coverage for the Christchurch district. With the flames came thick dark smoke fuelled by polystyrene that plumed over much of the western and southern city and precinct, said the TVNZ report. The pure heat of the fire was such the investigation was delayed: Fire safety officer Sue Trafford says the site examination has taken much longer than expected because the factory was so badly damaged, said the TVNZ report. One of the plants main processing buildings was flattened in part through extreme heat which fire-fighters say that was created by the highly flammable polystyrene panels, it said. The Fire Services Regional Commander Rob Saunders explained: A polystyrene building like this, with sheet metal on either side and polystyrene in the interior parts, what happens is the flames actually gets inside between these sheets of metal and makes it near impossible to put out, he told 3News. The broadcast reported that Commander Saunders said this was the biggest fire in Christchurch in 12 months. The fire performance of polystyrene (EPS) insulated panel in New Zealand was part of the New Zealand Fire Services Research Priorities for 2002/2003. Its recommendation included the following: Polystyrene Insulated Panel has been used as a building material in New Zealand for over thirty years There is growing concern, however, about the fire performance of the material within New Zealand and overseas. The Hornby plant was a 24 hour operation, killing 50 thousand chickens a day, mostly for the local market. It has more than 300 employees, half of them employed on the processing line that was destroyed, reported One News. The fire has created problems for the company on another front: animal rights activists have publicly attacked it. Tegel's only South Island poultry slaughterhouse came under attack from SAFE, New Zealand's second large stanimal advocacy organisation. TVNZ reported that Tegel group chief financial officer Rob Aitken says Tegel will work with the Poultry Industry Association in a bid to find an alternative plant in order to keep the operation running.

The Tegel Slaughter House fire

Building Codes Australia national fire regulations

Reaction to fire Reaction to fire testing attempts to get a quantitative measurement of how a material reacts when exposed to a fire either by direct flame or by radiant heat. Australian requirements for reaction to fire tests have been included in Specification C1.10a within the Building Code of Australia (BCA). The Specification relies on testing to ISO 9705: Fire tests full-scale room test for surface products in order to assess ignitability, flame propagation, heat release and smoke release of products. This test comprises a brick built room of dimensions 3.54m long, 2.35m wide and 2.52m high with a door opening of 0.8m wide and 2.0m high. The walls and ceiling of the room are lined with 2 layers of 12mm thick cement based noncombustible board.

Resistance to fire The fire resistance of a material describes its ability to resist the passage of heat and flames through its structure. The most important criteria in the case of insulated panel systems are the time to insulation and integrity failure. Fire resistance testing is normally done using a gas furnace using frame-mounted samples. The frame is typically 3m2 which typically allows the mounting of 3 adjacent panels. The furnace temperature follows a standard temperature curve which typically gives temperature of 678, 781, 842, 885, 918 and 945 C at 10-minute intervals up to 1 hour. The insulation failure is deemed to occur when the temperature of the non-fireside face exceeds the test specification requirements typically around 200C for insulated panel systems. Integrity failure is deemed to have occurred when flames are emitted from the non-fireside face. In Australia fire resistance testing is performed to Australian standard AS1530 Part 4: Fire resistance tests on elements of building construction. In the UK the equivalent test is BS 476 Part 22 and in Europe the equivalent test is BS EN ISO 1364. All these tests have similar methodologies and give similar results. A typical wall test set up is shown below.
o

Intermediate scale room test

ISO 9705 is not ideal for testing insulated panels because of the difficulties in mounting panels in the ISO 9705 room. For example panel systems that are usually fixed from the outside cannot be fixed correctly in the enclosed room. In Europe the difficulties in testing insulated panels have been acknowledged with their classification as difficult to test or exotic products. Current thinking in Europe is that ISO 13874-1: 2001(E) reaction to fire test for insulated panel building systems Part 1: Intermediate scale room test is the most appropriate alternative to ISO 9705 to determine the reaction to fire performance of insulated panels. The ISO 13874-1 enclosure and fire load are identical to the dimensions and fire load used in ISO 9705. A recent UK government-sponsored research project has confirmed that PIR panels (supplied by Kingspan) perform very well in this test without any flashover. As an alternative to the ISO 9705 test compliance to BCA can be demonstrated using the AS/NZS 3837 method of test for heat and smoke release rates for material and products using an oxygen consumption calorimeter. This test is sometimes referred to as the cone calorimeter test. Kingspan panels have been tested according to this test with very good results primarily as a result of char formation. (NB. The cone calorimeter gives no direct information about how a panel system might perform because it does not address the affect of joints and how the panels are supported in practice.) 6
BS476 wall test BS476 roof and ceiling test

Insurer certification requirements

Insurer certification Factory Mutual (FM) is an insurance approval company for testing of materials, services and design construction methods.

Factory Mutual (FM) approval requirements* Factory Mutual (FM) Global has a severe test standard for assessing reaction to fire. Care needs to be taken when specifying that the appropriate FM approval for a particular application is used as there are a number of different FM approvals for different applications. There are approvals for:

Wall construction (requires a non-combustible ceiling) Wall and ceiling construction Class 1 fire rated to maximum 30ft (9.1m) high The most severe is FMRC 4880 (1994) approval requirements for Class 1 fire classification with no height restriction

Achievement of Class 1 with no height restriction is dependent on performance in a number of tests that include:

ASTM E84 Surface burning characteristics ASTM D482 Ignition residue tests ASTM E711 Oxygen bomb tests UBC 26-3 Room test FMRC Room corner test (25/50ft test) The 50ft wall test is very severe. Two walls 15.24m high with a small

ceiling are lined with panels and a large fire source (345kg dry timber) is positioned in the corner. To achieve approval there has to be no flame spread or fire propagation to the extremities of the panel construction. Kingspan FM-approved panels are well within these limits with no flame spread away from the fire source.
*NOTE: FM Global do not consider the criteria on interpreting the results of the fire testing for BCA Group 1 as being equivalent to FM Class 1.

Kingspan solutions service Kingspan Technical Services provides a best practice, project specific Telephone: Email: Web address: solutions service. 1300 799 594 info@kingspanpanels.com.au www.kingspan.com.au

FM approval Class 1 with no height restriction

Comparative fire test data EPS

LPS 1181 fire test

LPCB (Loss Prevention Certificate Board) is an organisation involved in certifying fire safety products and is recognised by the insurance industry. It has a series of fire standards which define the test requirements for LPCB approval. One of the key standards with regards to insulated panels is LPS 1181. Large scale fire test involving polystyrene (EPS) panels A detailed research project was conducted to determine the performance of different insulation systems using the LPS 1181 test methodology. The testing programme was managed by EPIC (Engineer Panels In Construction), Arup Fire (a world wide engineering firm) and Warrington Fire Research. The key parameters of the test included:

Fully developed fire 1 mega watt fire load Max temp > 1000C at internal liner LPS 1181 test designed to assess flame spread, ignition and promote flash over conditions

Large scale polystyrene (EPS) fire testing

Results Polystyrene (EPS) panel systems:

External view after the test EPS melts to produce flaming droplets and fire spread Illustrates structural collapse of panels Fire was extinguished by brigade before end of test

Comparative fire test data PIR

LPS 1181 fire test

Large scale fire test involving PIR panels

Large scale PIR fire testing

Kingspan FM-approved

LPCB systems:

Effect at 1000C internal surface temperature Stable protective char formed Char/core expands to fill any gap between facings, consequently no voids Fire rated polyisocyanurate (PIR) core. 70% unaffected, 30% char at 1000C No spread of flame, flashover or fire travel within the core between the facings At high temperatures greater than 300C protective char forms Panels are unaffected away from main fire source

Moving forward fire risk assessment

Risk management considerations When considering building design and fire protection, it is strongly recommended that early and close liaison is established between the client, building designer and insurer. This will provide all parties with the opportunity of discussing and developing the most cost-effective passive and active fire protection measures appropriate to the specific property and business protection needs. The risk assessment process Insurers will identify with the client, the component parts of the business operation and the effect that loss of each will have, not only in direct financial loss terms but also in the profitability of the business. The following is a broad summary of the aspects of the business that will need consideration:

Occupancy Usage and manufacturing processes involved:

Fire load arising from the occupancy eg type of goods stored and storage heights proposed Premises layout eg proximity of production storage hazardous processes Critical business process, equipment and/or components and stock eg electronic equipment, high value components etc

Estimated values at risk Buildings:

Contents excluding stock Stock Business interruption exposure

Surroundings Exposure from other premises:

Type of area eg residential/industrial

Fire protection Distance from the nearest public fire brigade Availability of adequate water supplies for fire fighting Fire detection/protection systems required to augment passive fire protection Security Site security requirements:

Arson risk

Insurer certification Factory Mutual (FM) is an insurance approval company for testing of materials, services and design construction methods

Kingspan insulated panels

solutions service

Kingspan Technical Services provides a best practice, project specific solutions service.

Tel: 1300 799 594 Email: info@kingspanpanels.com.au

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Moving forward FM-approved PIR insulated panels

Performance and certification of Kingspan

systems

Building regulation fire tests are limited when it comes to property conservation, as their key objective is to ensure that personnel can leave the building safely in the event of a fire. These building regulation tests do not fully assess panel performance and should not be taken in isolation. For instance, a low density glass fibre is classified as non-combustible, but multi component external cladding systems based on low density glass fibre are not certified for a fire resistance rating. Hence the perception of a material based on small scale testing can be misleading. Insurers recognise these limitations and have developed their own tests. Kingspan panels perform well in all these tests, with the following characteristic performance:

Formation of stable protective char No flash over No flame spread particularly in the core of the panel No fire propagation No panel collapse Relatively small and acceptable smoke levels High levels of fire resistance up to 1 hour Kingspans huge investment in large scale testing provides proof of the excellent fire

performance of panel systems.

BS 476 Part 22 (AS 1530 Part 4)

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Insurer approved
Internal insulated temperature control systems
Cold store KS1200 CS (Cold Store Chill Store and Food Hygiene)

and certified systems

FM-approved FMRC 4880 Class 1 unlimited height Approved to FMRC 4880 CLASS 1 Fire Classification No height restriction ie unlimited height approved 50, 75, 100, 150 and 200

Insurer approved loss prevention certification board (LPCB) and Factory Mutual (FM) products
Roof products KS1000 RW FM-approved FMRC 4880 Class 1 unlimited height 30, 40, 60 and 100mm

KS1000 LP/CR

45, 60, 70 and 100mm

KS1000 TS

30, 40, 60 and 100mm

KS1000 SF

30, 40, 60 and 100mm

Wall products KS600/900/ 1000 Optimo

FM-approved FMRC 4880 Class 1 unlimited height 45, 60, 70, 80 and 100mm 900mm and 1000mm cover width as standard. 600mm cover width on a project by project basis

KS600/900/ 1000 AWP

45, 60, 70, 80 and 100mm 900mm and 1000mm cover width as standard. 600mm cover width on a project by project basis

KS600/900/1000 Optimo/FW30 KS600/ 900/1000 AWP/FW30

45, 60, 70, 80 and 100mm 900mm and 1000mm cover width as standard. 600mm cover width on a project by project basis

KS1000 RW

30, 40, 60 and 100mm

KS1000 RW/FW30

30, 40, 60 and 100mm

Kingspan Insulated Roof and Wall panel systems are also approved to LPCB standards. For further information please contact Kingspan Technical Services on 1300 799 594 12

Assessed to Australian standards (AS1530: Part 4) BS 476: Part 22: 1987 Clause 5 Walls (EN1364 Part 1) Thickness (mm) 100mm 150mm 200mm Integrity (E) 30 mins 30 mins 60 mins Insulation (I) 30 mins 30 mins 60 mins Model Spec Ref. KSAUFR030 Wall KSAUFR030 Wall KSAUFR060 Wall Thickness (mm) 100mm 150mm 200mm BS 476: Part 22: 1987 Clause 9 Ceilings Integrity (E) 30 mins 30 mins 60 mins Insulation (I) 30 mins 30 mins 60 mins Model Spec Ref. KSAUFR030 Ceiling KSAUFR030 Ceiling KSAUFR060 Ceiling

Assessed to Australian standards ASNZ 1530 Part 4 40mm 59 integrity and 16 minutes insulation

80mm 66 integrity and 66 minutes insulation

Assessed to Australian standards ASNZ 1530 Part 4 80 and 100mm 60 integrity and 28 minutes insulation Panel joint stitched at 250mm centers plus 100mm wide cover flashing from both sides 45, 60, 70, 80 and 100mm 120 integrity and 15 minutes insulation 0.4mm thick profiled steel liner plus 60mm thick 23kg/m2 rock fibre insulation 45, 60, 70, 80 and 100mm 240 integrity and 15 minutes insulation 0.4mm thick profiled steel liner plus 80mm thick 23kg/m2 rock fibre insulation 80 and 100mm 60 integrity and 28 minutes insulation Panel joint stitched at 250mm centers plus 100mm wide cover flashing from both sides 45, 60, 70, 80 and 100mm 120 integrity and 15 minutes insulation 0.4mm thick profiled steel liner plus 60mm thick 23kg/m2 rock fibre insulation 45, 60, 70, 80 and 100mm 240 integrity and 15 minutes insulation 0.4mm thick profiled steel liner plus 80mm thick 23kg/m2 rock fibre insulation 100mm 60 integrity and 30 minutes insulation Panel joint stitched at 250mm centers plus 100mm wide cover flashing stitched at 250mm ctrs

30, 40, 60 and 100mm 136 integrity and 16 minutes insulation

30, 40, 60 and 100mm 136 integrity and 16 minutes insulation from both directions

100mm 136 integrity and 36 minutes insulation Factory fitted inteumescent strip along side lap

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Frequently asked questions (FAQs)

Q. What is the difference between non-certified and certified polyisocyanurate (PIR)? A. Non certified PIR has not been through the rigorous test programme demanded by FM. Certified PIR uses a unique formulation that gives a highly fire resistant product which is capable of passing insurance industry tests. Companies such as FM Global have precise details of approved formulations and regularly audit manufacturers facilities to confirm compliance. Non certified PIRs or PURs will not give the same fire performance as certified PIRs. Q. How do I identify the panels on my building? A. This can be problematic on existing buildings. The first thing to do is to check if there are any building records eg drawings to see whether the panel system is specified. In the absence of records an attempt should be made to uncover some panel core material. Great care should be taken to ensure that there are no possible sources of ignition. Mineral fibre and polystyrene (EPS) are relatively easy to identify provided access to the core is available. It is easy to identify Kingspan panels from the UV ink markings on the lining (internal) side. UV torches are available from Kingspan thus providing further peace of mind to all parties. A. Q. How can I minimise or challenge insurance premium increases? In the current insurance market environment insurers are looking very closely at every risk. In relation to building insurance it is therefore vital to provide the insurer with detailed, comprehensive and accurate information about construction, occupancy and management of the building. If the building is being surveyed give the insurance surveyor as much assistance as possible. If there is insufficient information in the survey for example about the panel core the underwriter will always assume the worst. Kingspan Technical Services Department can help in providing specification details, certification where appropriate, case study information etc. Q. In real buildings the panel core is always exposed due to poor maintenance etc. Is this a fire risk? A. It is always good practice to inspect and repair damaged panel systems. Having said that, the reality is that a certified PIR core, even when exposed to a high intensity propane torch, cannot ignite the unprotected insulation core. This is in stark contrast to EPS where a very small fire source can ignite the material. This is then compounded by the tendency of EPS to shrink and melt leading to the formation of a cavity between the metal skins that can allow hidden fire spread. This phenomenon does not
UV torch identifying Kingspan panels Homesglen Institute of TAFE AWP

occur with certified PIR. 14

Q. Do PIR panels produce toxic smoke in a fire? A. Every type of panel system has an organic content that is affected by fire. In the case of PIR, the major products of combustion are carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide because all contain organic components. The most important point to recognise is that in the case of fires in buildings clad in PIR panels, the vast majority of smoke and toxic gas is generated by the burning contents of the building. The panels are not significantly affected until the fire is fully developed and the mass of material present in the panels can be very small compared to the burning mass in the building. Concerns about toxic gas and smoke emissions from the panels must be put into context compared to toxic gas emissions from all other burning elements within the building. Q. What is the difference between reaction to fire and fire resistance? A. Reaction to fire assesses how a specific material or composite product reacts when exposed to heat which can be in the form of direct flame impingement, radiant heat or high temperatures. Typical parameters normally measured include ignitability, flame spread and rate of heat release. The Kingspan range of insurer approved panels includes systems that have excellent performance in reaction to fire. Systems are also available that demonstrate high levels of fire resistance up to 1 hour insulation/integration. A. Q. My insurer/insurance premium is telling me it is ok to construct building using polystyrene (EPS) panels. Is this true? This document is aimed at clarifying the differing fire performances inherent in the alternative types of insulation cores. Over the past decade there have been numerous fires where EPS insulation cores have been used in a buildings construction and the EPS has proven to contribute to the ferocity of the fires and subsequent damage. By selecting certified PIR cores you are safeguarding your business against consequential losses and against future, harder attitudes to EPS resulting in higher premiums. By outlining these characteristics to your broker you should benefit from lower premiums. Q. As an architect, how can I ensure that FM approved systems are installed correctly? A. Contractual documents must make reference to compliance with the appropriate specification model specifications and help in specification development are
Polystyrene (EPS) melting under the effects of fire

available from Kingspan Technical Services.

Kingspan Solutions Service Kingspan Australia Technical Services Department provides a best-practice, project-specific solutions service. If you have any questions or require specific information please do not hesitate to contact us. Tel: 1300 799 594 Email: info@kingspanpanels.com.au www.kingspan.com.au

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Professional indemnity insurance cover

EPS not good for architects In a British High Court judgement in 2003 that will form part of precedent law for Australian judges to consider, the architect responsible for specifying polystyrene (EPS) cored panels in a high risk cooking area was found liable for the losses that occurred in a fire. The cost to Sahib Foods insurers, Norwich Union, was 17M (AUD $43M). EPS panels were specified and used throughout the premises of Sahib Foods in a refurbishment carried out in 1994 to 1995. A fire occurred in January 1998 that spread rapidly throughout the factory causing a total loss and led to the closure of the business. The source of the fire was a cooking area. The architects conceded that at the time of the specification in 1994 they knew about the fire performance of composite panels. The court pointed out that knowledge of the risk of the use of EPS panels in relation to food factory fires was developing in the architects profession to the spread of the fire. The Court of Appeal reduced the amount payable by the architect from 17M (AUD $43M) to below 10M (AUD $25M). The implications for Architects PI insurance cover are unclear but it is important to understand that the judgement refers only to EPS panels in a high risk food sector application. The specification of EPS panels for internal enclosures in food factories should not be confused or linked in any way with the specification of Kingspan insulated panel systems.

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I N S U L A T E D

P A N E L S

Constructive Thinking
Kingspan Insulated Panels Pty Limited 38-52 Dunheved Circuit St Marys NSW 2760 Tel 02 9673 5069 Fax 02 9673 5068 Email info@kingspanpanels.com.au www.kingspan.com.au

Care has been taken to ensure that the contents of this publication are accurate, but Kingspan Limited and its subsidiary companies do not accept responsibility for errors or for information that is found to be misleading. Suggestions for, or descriptions of, the end use or application of products or methods of working are for information only and Kingspan Limited and its subsidiaries accept no liability in respect thereof.