Every year in Pakistan multiple commercial fire incidents take place, as per the data provided by the Fire Protection Association of Pakistan (FPAP).
In just 2017, 138 human lives were affected out of which 35 were fatalities.
AkzoNobel Pakistan offers Fire Protection Coatings under the brand names of ‘Interchar’ for Commercial Buildings and ‘Chartek’ for Oil and Gas Markets.
An intumescent coating reacts to heat by swelling in a controlled manner to many times the original thickness to produce a carbonaceous char that acts as an insulating layer to protect that reduces the amount of heat transferred to the steel, thereby slowing down the time taken to reach the critical failure temperature. Different products are produced by AkzoNobel which have different ratings depending on the time required for the coating to maintain the steel temperature below the critical failure temperature.
Andy Holt, Segment Manager – Protective Middle East Asia (MEA) explains “Fires are a threat to life, safety and building integrity. Fire can spread from one area of a building to another, rapidly engulfing areas that were not originally affected by the fire.
Building structures may be weakened by the effects of fire and may collapse preventing
escape and leading to a greater loss of life. Steel is an excellent building material, but it is
weakened by fire and therefore needs to be protected.
Unprotected steel exposed to a fire can reach very high temperatures in a short period of time. AkzoNobel’s range of intumescent coatings will protect this steel and may allow a fire crew time to save the building from collapse and rescue occupants”.
AkzoNobel Pakistan is working closely with the Fire Protection Association of Pakistan to
spread awareness about passive fire safety in Pakistan.The Fire Protection Association of
Pakistan (FPAP) is a voluntary and non-profit organization for promoting fire protection
awareness and advancement.
As part of its commitment, AkzoNobel Pakistan participated in the Fire Safety Asia International Conference and Exhibition, organized by FPAP which took place in Karachi Expo Centre from 25 to 27 September.
The three-day exhibition provided an extraordinary platform for all the stakeholders of the
industry to highlight cutting-edge services and products for fire and safety. Its purpose was to create opportunities for business to business alliances which allowed different parties to
leverage their respective strengths for mutual benefit in this fast-evolving industry.
