Fires in the workplace can be incredibly devastating. From property damage and inventory loss to the potential for serious injury to employees and other personnel, you must have everything in place to avoid these potential outcomes.
A well-maintained fire sprinkler system is one of your business’s main lines of defense. An effective sprinkler system can protect lives and property and play an essential role in ensuring that your fire damage insurance claim is processed smoothly and the payout is not at risk of rejection.
This guide will explore the importance of a fire sprinkler system for fire safety and its critical role in safeguarding fire insurance claims. We’ll also discuss how the Shutgun Fire Sprinkler Shut-Off Tool can prevent water damage caused by fire sprinkler systems, helping you avoid unnecessary insurance claims that could delay and complicate your business’s recovery process.
The Role of Fire Sprinkler Systems in Insurance Claims
It is well known that a fire sprinkler system is one of the most effective tools for preventing severe fire damage. Not only do they provide entire businesses with protection, but they are designed to detect heat from a fire and extinguish it automatically, meaning they provide full coverage even when the business is unoccupied.
They can fully extinguish flames or even just control them, allowing building occupants time to evacuate and first responders time to arrive on the scene and take action.
Not only can they save lives, but they can also drastically limit the extent of fire damage in the workplace. Naturally, insurance providers note this when calculating risk assessments.
The Key Benefits of a Well-Maintained Fire Sprinkler System for Insurance
Here are just some of the reasons why you should make sure that your fire sprinkler system is well-maintained and adequate for the needs of your business when it comes to dealing with insurance:
1. Minimizing the Value of the Claim
By limiting the spread of flames and containing damage to a smaller area, a fire sprinkler system can drastically lessen the impact of a fire on your business, reducing the risk of injuries, material and equipment damage, and the overall impact on the business itself.
When you file an insurance claim, the payout tends to be awarded much faster if it is smaller, as the insurance provider does not have to conduct nearly as detailed of an investigation of their own.
2. Reducing Insurance Premiums
Many insurance providers will offer reduced premiums to businesses that can show proof of regular maintenance and inspections on their fire sprinkler systems. Since these systems significantly reduce the risk of fire damage, they may make your business less likely to file a major claim.
From the insurance company’s perspective, your efforts to maintain your fire sprinkler system is a proactive measure that shows your commitment to workplace safety, which they usually reward by offering reduced monthly rates.
3. Unchallenged Insurance Claims
The main benefit of proving that you have a well-maintained fire sprinkler system is guaranteeing you receive the payout for any potential fire claims. When a major fire occurs, an insurance company will conduct a thorough investigation before they approve a claim.
This protects them from insurance fraud and from making payments they are not legally obligated to make. Providing evidence that you took all the necessary and regulated precautions to prevent and reduce fire damage will support your insurance claim and ensure it goes unchallenged.
How Do You Make Sure Your Fire Sprinkler System Is Insurance Compliant?
Having a fire sprinkler system isn’t always enough to guarantee you will receive a full insurance payout in the event of a fire. Here is how your business can ensure that your sprinkler system can support any potential insurance claims:
Perform Regular Maintenance and Inspections
Scheduling regular inspections and maintenance services from qualified providers guarantees that your sprinkler system is in good condition to be a reliable fire prevention tool. Certified professionals can identify issues before they threaten the effectiveness of your system. They can also make necessary repairs and perform routine maintenance.
Comply with All Regulations
Ensuring that your specific fire sprinkler system meets all of the local and federal safety regulations and fire codes will ensure that your insurance claim is not at risk of rejection due to not meeting legal requirements.
Save All Maintenance and Inspection Documentation
When your system is maintained, repaired, or inspected, you should make sure that you file this documentation away. This can be used as evidence that you did everything in your power to keep your business safe in the event of a destructive fire. Presenting this information will reduce the likelihood that your insurance provider will dispute your claim.
Preventing Fire Sprinkler System-Related Water Damage
While fire sprinkler systems are essential for workplace fire prevention, they can pose a risk of water damage. Unfortunately, this secondary risk is almost impossible to avoid, as most fire sprinkler systems expel significant volumes of water when they detect fires. These water damage risks are well worth dealing with, as fires are far more destructive and deadly, but that does not mean water damage is not costly.
Fortunately, there is a tool you can use to mitigate the risk of water damage – The Shutgun. The Shutgun is a simple, handheld tool that lets you quickly and easily deactivate a fire sprinkler head to prevent water damage to your property.
Whether the fire sprinkler is continuing to run after successfully extinguishing a fire or the system was activated accidentally, having the power to shut it off quickly can end up saving your business tens of thousands of dollars in water damage, as well as dealing with the hassle of filing a significant water damage insurance claim.
No matter which type of fire sprinkler heads your fire sprinkler system has, you can order a Shutgun designed to deactivate them. We carry a Concealed Head Shutgun, Sheared Head Shutgun, and even a specialized version of the tool intended to deactivate “tamper-resistant” sprinkler heads called the Institutional Shutgun.
Given that a single fire sprinkler head can release 60 gallons of water in a single minute, your business must have these tools distributed throughout the building. We recommend using the Shutgun Wall Mount Kit to strategically position one tool near every fire extinguisher in the building.
Final Words
Whether it is making sure that your fire sprinkler system is capable of protecting your business from significant fire damage or making sure that you are prepared to deal with the risk of water damage by incorporating the Shutgun into your workplace safety preparations, efforts you make today can help you avoid dealing with the stress and financial consequences of having to file a major insurance claim.
If you need to file a claim, having a quick and unchallenged payment can help your business recover and move past the incident as quickly as possible. With this guide, you can be prepared if you need to file a fire or water damage claim.