SWA - Saving lives and helping contractors stay compliant

03-01-2018

Innovation

SWA’s range of Firefly fire safety clips solve a real problem – and one that can have tragic consequences, too.

While overhead cabling does not normally present a risk – in fact, having cables neatly out of reach in plastic trunking is a very sensible safety measure – all that changes as soon as a fire breaks out.

The plastic quickly melts and the combined weight of the cables brings it all down, blocking escape routes in offices and industrial buildings. Those fallen cables then become a major safety hazard as people try to escape, often in poor visibility because of smoke and amid noxious fumes. From 2004 to 2014, there were 14 fatalities as a result of people becoming entrapped in cables. The figure includes firefighters, who are at particular risk of entanglement because of the equipment they carry.

 Firefly Fire Safety Clip Kits Packaging

SWA’s innovative Firefly clips have been specifically designed to solve this deadly problem, while at the same time complying fully with the new regulations brought in to tackle it.

Their unique spring-loaded design ensures they dig in tighter as a fire takes hold, embedding themselves firmly into the substructure they are affixed to and virtually eliminating the risk of overhead cables falling. The spring loading also allows for the easy addition or removal of cables in the months and years after installation.

Crucially, they have been proven to retain their shape and strengthin the searing temperatures of a building fire. Firefly fire safety clips recently won eight Warrington Fire Safety Certificates, covering the entire range. The tests were conducted using Prysmian Plus fire alarm cable, and the clips stayed in place as temperatures reached 930ºC for 120 minutes, easily surpassing the required resistance time of 45 minutes set to allow fire alarms to ring for as long as possible. The comprehensive Warrington procedure also included a shock and water spray test.

100% Compliant

Firefly safety clips are 100% compliant with the BS7671:2015 Wiring Regulations, which make it mandatory to secure all surface cables in escape routes. The regulations, which came into effect from July 2015, prohibit non-metallic clips or plastic trunking as the sole means of support for fire alarms, HVAC, CCTV and general electrical cabling.

Ideal for walls and ceilings in both new installations and retrofits, the full Firefly Fixings range includes clips for use inside and outside plastic trunking and to secure conduit and cable tray.  There are even clips designed to be used directly into masonry, independently of any trunking.

The high-precision, zinc-plated clips feature rounded ends, preventing damage to cables and injury to electricians. They have a melt point of over 1000ºC.

Firefly internal trunking clips are available in all sizes from 25mm x 16mm to 50mm x 50mm, and from 25mm x 16mm and 40mm x 25mm for the external clips. In addition to the spring-loaded trunking clips, the range includes conduit clips for both 20mm and 25mm conduit.

The low-cost Firefly trunking clips are sold both on their own and in kits, which include masonry screws or cavity fixings, washers and a suitable drill bit, as well as the clips.

Easy to buy, easy to install

Firefly clips are available nationwide through SWA’s comprehensive network of electrical stockists. They are fast and easy to install and guaranteed to outlive the lifetime of the cables they hold in place. Firefly clips fit ALL makes and sizes of plastic trunking and conduit and are recommended by leading trunking manufacturers as standard.

Contact SWA Ltd: sales@swaonline.co.uk    Sales: 01453 844 333

Scan to view Firefly Fire Safety Clip video

or visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V-f8diEFh-8&t