User Manual

Fire Safety

Building Technologies 049_Archives_and_Libraries_A6

V10271399_a_en.doc

Fire Safety & Security Products 03.2009

Dry extinguishing systems are the preferred option for most archive operators.

They offer immediate and reliable response without posing any danger to the

goods stored. In libraries the use of dry extinguishing is also appropriated, never-

theless becomes uneconomic in over dimensioned areas or where the values

stored doesn’t justify it.

In most archives, the use of moveable shelves is a common practice. The shelves

(or most of them) would remain closed when not in use, posing an additional chal-

lenge to extinguishing. In such cases the only applicable extinguishing technolo-

gies are those based on gaseous system, that would totally flood the room:

– Natural gases

– Chemical agents

– Water combined (water + inert gases)

Fig. 16 Moveable shelves – Royal Library Danmark

Temperature and humidity conditions are key aspects in document preservation.

Therefore air conditioning equipments are very often in operation in archives and

libraries on a constant basis. Conservation of old forms of cotton paper (until ca.

1830) is recommended at around 20°C and 50% humidity and conservation of

wood based paper, with high content of acid (1830 until beginning of XX

century)

is recommended at very low temperatures down to 2°C and 35% humidity. The ex-

tinguishing system must be perfectly coordinated with the air conditioning system,

so that in case of extinguishing agent release, all air dumpers close and no lose of

agent can occur.

4.4.2 Extinguishing agents

There are different types of gas based extinguishing solutions that can be applied

in archives and libraries. According to the nature of the items stored and the corre-

sponding type of fire they would develop, the appropriated extinguishing agent and

system has to be chosen.

The following items would typically produce an open flame fire, and would after few

minutes burning form a deep-seated-fire, therefore the best available solutions

known today are the ones based on water combined (inert gases with added wa-

ter) extinguishing agents. Alternatively the ones based on inert gases are valid op-

tions.