Tag: fire safety

Shutgun Debuts New Product at Build Show 2015

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Accidental fire sprinkler activations can be one of the most costly, project prohibitive challenges facing Project and Building managers today. The results of accidental activating can vary from thousands of dollars in damages, project delays and lost wages. That is why Shutgun Tool has decided to showcase their newly released fire sprinkler shut off products at this year’s BUILD EXPO USA taking place September 16 & 17 at the NRG Centre in Houston.

“There is no limit to the amount of accidents that can occur on a construction site or in an enclosed work space, especially when heavy equipment and machinery is being operated,” said Greg Patterson, president, Technicraft Product Design and co-inventor of Shutgun.

When a sprinkler head is activated, quick shut off is critical. Water from a sprinkler head is released at pressures as high as 170 psi and up to 60 gallons per minute, which can easily result in tens of thousands of dollars in damage.  The durable cast aluminum Shutgun allows the user to shut off the sprinkler system with a one-handed, squeeze.

“Traditionally, wedges were used to contain flow from sprinkler heads, but they are rudimentary and often do not completely shut off the water flow,” said Patterson.

For situations where the sprinkler head may have been broken or sheared off, Shutgun has created the Shutgun Sheared Head Attachment to ensure that shut off remains seamless.

Barry McGrory is Labour manager with Commodore Builders and has purchased Shutguns for each of his superintendents and foremen. “Accidents don’t just happen during demos, even drywallers can set them off occasionally,” he said. “If you’re working in an occupied building, the real damage is to the floors below, so stopping that flow of water is even more critical.”

As an added safety feature, Shutgun’s unique fusible link allows it to be left in place with the sprinkler system charged until the pipes can be drained and the head replaced – thus giving you full building fire protection despite the activation.

Shutgun has three versions including original Shutgun for standard sprinkler head models, Sheared Head Shutgun and Concealed Head Shutgun for recessed sprinkler heads. They have also just launched their new durable, safety case which stores three types of Shutgun in one easy-to-see case for quick emergency response. The Shutgun is an indispensable tool that belongs with every fire extinguisher and in every contractor’s toolbox. “The Shutgun is insurance for a construction company and it has proven its value in real life situations,” said Patterson.

Keep your Shutgun Within Easy Reach – new Shutgun Case*

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The Shutgun system was designed to respond to emergencies, therefore it needs to be accessible at all times. Ideally, we recommend that you place your equipment in a highly visible, labeled location. But let’s face it, sprinklers don’t discharge every day. So, it is easy for the equipment to be inadvertently placed into a toolbox or into a drawer.

When your sprinklers are accidentally discharged, the last thing you need to worry about is finding your Shutgun. Scrabbling in a drawer or a toolbox for the shut off system increases the risk of damage. Time is of the essence.  Purchasing the Shutgun is the first step to ensure quick shut off occurs, but what if you can’t find the equipment?

That why we’ve recently developed and launched a new Shutgun protective case with space to hold three versions of our Shutgun products.

At Technicraft Product Design, we are continually responding to the unexpected.  We believe that ease of access is as essential as ease of use; and so our new case that not only holds the equipment but is a bright yellow to ensure that you can find it when you need it.

The decision to develop the case was not made lightly. We knew that it wasn’t just about protecting the product, but keeping it of top of mind.  The case needed to be lightweight while ensuring that it could be found within seconds. Yellow/orange is the color frequently associated with danger, and so it subliminally communicates that this is something that we need.

The golden color not only reflects the Shutgun brand but is visible in all lighting conditions, and by those that are colour blind. When those sprinklers are discharged, the last thing you need to worry about is finding your tools,  so we created a case that your eyes will be drawn towards.

The extremely durable, waterproof exterior protects your equipment in the case of water damage or falls. While the interior is designed to hold not just one, but three Shutgun products, ensuring that you have the right product for all sprinkler heads – standard, sheared head or recessed.

Visit our product section to purchase this product online, and fill it with the Shutgun products tailored for your specific building or facility needs.

Shutgun’s #OneOnEveryFloor campaign

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We’re very thrilled, for a couple of reasons, to be heading to Hawaii later this week in order to not only exhibit at the Hawaii Lodging Hospitality and Food Service Expo on July 9 and 10 (Booth 219) but to take time and visit with as many of our valued hotel clients as possible.

We will be promoting our #OneOnEveryFloor campaign in order to bring awareness to the cost and time saving benefits of having multiple Shutguns accessible on your hotel or resort property.

By having one Shutgun tool on every floor of your hotel, you will eliminate time wasted in retrieving your sprinkler shut off tool – thereby minimizing potential water damage to your resort or hotel rooms.

We will also be taking some time to walk through the hotels Fire Sprinkler Emergency Procedure as well as update managers on our recent additions to the Shutgun.

“These tips will not only save time and avoid stress in an emergency, but makes economic sense for the hotel as well.”

Shutgun will also be launching a new tool for concealed fire sprinkler heads this year, increasing the likelihood that you will be able to shut off an accidental activation on any concealed sprinkler model in your hotel.

Shutgun will be exhibiting at BOOTH #219 on Wed July 9 and Thurs 10th at the Hawaii Lodging Hospitality and Food Service Expo in Honolulu. For information visit #OneOnEveryFloor 

Cost benefit of purchasing multiple Shutguns – we did the math

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Many of our clients have done a great job at not only stocking a Shutgun along with their fire boxes and annunciator panels, but also in training their staff and front line personnel on the proper use and procedures in a sprinkler-related emergency.

We would like to applaud you – and although yes, it is a good idea to have a Shutgun tool at the annunciator panel, it actually is more cost effective to invest in multiple Shutguns per property, having one with each fire extinguisher box. Here is the ‘official’ formula:

$ cost benefit = Shutgun x Floors + Time ($1,000 per minute)

Allow us to explain…don’t worry, there will not be a test later!

Take the example of having just ONE fire extinguisher for an entire building. If a small fire broke out on floor #7 but the extinguisher was on floor #1, the amount of potential damage that could be inflicted in the time it takes to run down and back up with the extinguisher, could be severe.

Similarly, it is estimated that the cost of clean up, repairs and water damage related to accidental fire sprinkler activation can run up to $1,000 per minute for every minute that a sprinkler is left running. (That’s about $17 per second if you don’t have your calculator handy)

Here’s the math in action – see which scenario makes more sense to you:

SCENARIO A:

1 Shutgun x 4 Floors = $50

(savings of $200 for buying only 1 tool)

+          If it takes at least 5 minutes to go down several floors, get the Shutgun and come back –

5 minutes = potentially $5,000 in damage

=          $5,050 in damage and time wasted.

SCENARIO B:

5 Shutguns x 4 Floors (+ 1 for panel) = $250

+          0 minutes to run and get Shutgun = $0/minimal in damage

=          $250 (and minimal damage to rooms/floors.)

*Essentially, the savings on purchasing tools is negated by the resulting damage of time wasted in retrieving the tool.

Economic sense? We think so too! The simple solution: a Shutgun for every floor.

For a gold star – please stock your condo, hotel, and high rise with multiple Shutguns – as well as share/tweet/tag this post with the hashtag #OneOnEveryFloor

Lastly, for our existing customers – be sure you have your Shutgun Sheared Head Attachment for recessed fire sprinklers in walls, ceilings.

Case Study: Tulalip Resort & Casino

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The following are exerpts from an interview with Samueal Askew, General Manager, Tulalip Resort & Casino Tulalip, WA.

How Shutgun Saved a Housekeeping Sprinkler Blunder


How did you hear about Shutgun? 
I was introduced to Shutgun at the IHMRS Show in NYC in 2012.  I was really impressed by the product itself,  the
presentation of the materials, and the service.  My purchase was made
then.
How many Shutguns have you purchased?
24 units total.

What was the decision behind your purchase? 
The quality of the Shutgun is extremely high -Well made.  It’s
also easy to use and requires little to no training to respond to an
emergency.  But the greatest decision point was the fact
that it contained a fusible link so that if it is used in an emergency, the
sprinkler system will in turn still function if there is another incident.

How have you found the Shutgun useful to date? Absolutely!  We had new
housekeeping associate dusting in and around the laundry room and broke a
sprinkler head.  The Shutgun was quickly at hand and saved us from many
many hours of cleanup, work, and of course limited damage to the facility.

What was the best feature for you in using Shutgun?  Aside from the Fusible Link, the fact that ANYONE
can use it at ANY TIME means that our team members can respond to a situation
at a moments notice.  The local fire depart loves them and are placing
orders too!