Coca-Cola Factory: fire safety system maintenance at the beverage production plant

The client
Multon Partners Plant, formerly the Russian division of The Coca-Cola Company, is a large enterprise producing juice-based drinks and sodas such as Rich, Dobry, and others (with an area of over 11 hectares) with an output of about 700 million liters per year. The plant operates 17 lines from Swedish, German, and Italian manufacturers, its own research center, a microbiological laboratory, and a logistics complex with a capacity of 35,000 pallet places, which is connected to its own railway track.

Situation
Before our involvement, the fire protection systems at the AO “Multon” plant were operational but had several issues:

• Unstable operation of automatic fire alarm systems: false alarms triggered by untimely maintenance.
• Critical state of fire extinguishing equipment (sprinkler, deluge, fire pump stations): faulty control components and equipment, reducing firefighting efficiency.
• Malfunctioning of evacuation alert and management systems (SOUE): certain alert zones did not meet regulatory requirements.
• Lack of documentation on the current status of systems and regular inspections, posing risks during inspections by regulatory authorities.
• Worn-out primary fire extinguishing equipment (extinguishers, hoses, fire cabinets) and uneven placement across the facility.
  These issues could lead to a reduced level of fire safety and significant financial penalties from regulatory bodies.

Tasks:

• Conduct an audit of the existing fire protection systems and identify defects, including detectors, control units, pump stations, and pipelines.
• Test all subsystems (alarm, water fire extinguishing, smoke extraction, and alerts).
• Replace or repair damaged/obsolete components.
• Organize regular maintenance according to fire safety regulations, including automatic fire alarms, evacuation management and alert systems, fire pump stations, fire pipelines, and powder and gas fire extinguishing systems.

Solution
Technical maintenance and preventive repair of fire protection systems are critical tasks for such large manufacturing enterprises.
At the preparatory stage, we conducted a detailed inspection of all zones of the plant where fire protection system components were located. We reviewed the available fire protection system designs and maintenance logs. We analyzed high-risk zones such as production lines and fuel storage areas.
During the audit, we found 15% of smoke and heat detectors were faulty and replaced them during repairs. Additionally, we repaired malfunctioning alert devices, exit signs, and control units.
More than half of the fire pumps required valve replacements, and the pipeline had significant corrosion damage in the warehouse line, which we repaired and eliminated leaks.
In the production shop, misadjusted smoke extraction dampers were found, necessitating pump repairs, adjustments, and testing of automatic drive systems. As a result, the entire fire protection system was successfully tested for stability and functionality.
After the work was completed, we provided and handed over the following documentation:

• Maintenance log
• Act of system commissioning
• Passport for verified components with updated maintenance schedules

Project Results
All fire protection systems were brought back into operational condition and comply with regulatory requirements:

• False alarms from the APS system were eliminated by replacing faulty detectors.
• Firefighting pipelines were restored to 100% capacity, and fire pumps are now operating normally.
• The SOUE system is functioning correctly, exit indicators have been restored, and audible alarms are available in all zones.
  The plant staff received an updated set of instructions for operating the fire protection systems, along with recommendations for future scheduled inspections and system maintenance.
  This allowed for minimizing risks in case of emergencies, protecting valuable assets, and preventing health threats to employees.