Fire Suppression Products in China to Surpass Detection Sales in 2012, Says IMS Research

Sales of fire suppression products in China are forecast to surpass those of detection in 2012, according to a recent study by IMS Research, the leading provider of market intelligence to the global electronics industry. Forecast to reach $900 million in 2015, growth of suppression products in China will be centered around new codes and regulations and increased activity within the transport sector.

Newly revised “Shanghai Residential Design Standards” and “Technical Specifications for Water Mist Extinguishing Equipment” will spearhead growth for suppression products in China. Following the Shanghai Jiaozhou Road fire in November 2010, in which a 28-story high-rise apartment building was destroyed killing 58 people and injuring 70 others, the threat of fires in high-rise buildings became a reality for both Chinese citizens and the Chinese government with horrific pictures etched in the memories of many.

In response, Shandong Province and the city of Shanghai have taken action to launch new codes and standards, “Shandong Province Fire Services Ordinance” and “Shanghai Residential Design Standards”, that require new high-rise buildings, over 100 meters tall, to install fire suppression products, in particular automatic sprinkler systems.

“The threat of fire in high-rise buildings is one of the most challenging issues facing China in the 21st century,” comments Rita Liu, report author and analyst at IMS Research. Liu continues, “With concerns rising, sprinkler systems are emerging as one of the most cost effective methods to protect against fires in high rise buildings. Modification to the ‘Shanghai Residential Design Standards' is just the beginning of what seems to be a new dawn for suppression products in China”.