KLM Storage (Midlands) Ltd

Background

West Midlands based KLM Storage is a long-established business, providing serviced warehousing and distribution solutions with a global coverage. Operating from an extensive 120,000 sq. ft site, the facility is ideally located on the Rushock Trading Estate, just five miles from Junction 5 of the M5 motorway between Droitwich and Kidderminster in Worcestershire.

Challenges the client faced

As a trusted service provider, KLM Storage act on behalf of companies looking to warehouse stock prior to dispatch, whether in the UK or further afield. With a constantly evolving, highly valuable inventory, site security - including fire safety – is sacrosanct.

In recent times, however, the business had been encountering reliability issues with their ten-year-old fire alarm system. The security firm that had carried out the original installation were no longer able to maintain the equipment and Justice Fire & Security had been called recently in to “prop up” the failing apparatus. By early 2022, it was clear that it would need to be replaced with a new, altogether more robust system.

Equipment we installed – and what happened next

With a warehouse measuring in the region of 100 metres in length, 60 metres wide and with a ceiling height approaching 10 metres, this proved to be a major undertaking. In addition, the work took place whilst the day-to-day warehousing operation remained in full swing.

After carrying out a thorough inspection, it was recommended that the obsolete equipment should be replaced with a combined hybrid wired, addressable system, utilising smoke detectors and an aspirating detection system (ADS), manufactured by Wagner. The beauty of these systems is that they can detect smoke at the earliest stages of combustion - and certainly before being visible to the naked eye. The system is connected to a fire detection and alarm system to give warning of an impending fire. ADS systems are ideally suited to warehousing environments, where it can often be difficult to install and maintain conventional smoke detectors. The tubing is installed throughout the protected area and the detector is fitted at ground level, where it is easily accessible for servicing.

The project required Justice engineers Aaron, Daniel, and Martin to install new panelling and cabling across huge tracts of the warehouse ceiling. In total, 3000 metres of cabling and pipework had to be installed (that’s getting on for 2 miles-worth!) to ensure there was optimum coverage throughout the premises. The assignment took around six weeks to complete. The system will undergo regular inspections by the Justice engineering team to ensure everything remains in perfect working order.

The final outcome

Justice Fire & Security have ensured that KLM Storage now have a reliable,

state-of-the-art fire alarm system, that provides the business owners with the peace of mind they were seeking.

As KLM Storage Director Justin Humphryes explained: “Our priority was to ensure that we had a fire alarm system that we could rely on. And that’s exactly what we now have.

“Justice have been excellent throughout the whole process, very professional. They have taken a lot of time and trouble to ensure everything is present and correct. We are very pleased with the outcome,” he added.

Engineer Aaron said that whilst the project had been challenging, it was made more straightforward by the excellent cooperation of KLM’s staff. “If we needed pallets moving, they were straight on to it. They were very accommodating towards us, which we really appreciated,” commented Aaron.

Meanwhile, Justice have also taken over the maintenance of KLM’s intruder alarm system and CCTV equipment.

Offering a tailored security service, we specialise in the design and installation of intruder alarms, access control systems, CCTV, and fire alarm systems for all types of warehousing and factory units throughout the West Midlands, within a 50-mile radius of our Birmingham Head Office. To discuss the most appropriate security systems for your commercial premises, call Justice Fire and Security on 0845 468 0927 to arrange a free site survey and quotation.