Following the fire at Icepak Tamahere, the Institute of Professional Engineers of New Zealand (IPENZ) initiated a review of the design of cold storage facilities.
The coolstore saved from the fire beside burnt out remains of others
The purpose of the IPENZ review is to inquire into coolstore design with particular emphasis on refrigeration fluids, insulation techniques, sprinkler technology, appropriate structures, and other matters pertinent to the engineering design of coolstores.
IPENZ convened a group of engineers and others with expertise in these disciplines. The IPENZ working party expected to collaborate with and complement the Fire Service enquiry but intended concentrating on engineering design rather than fire fighting operations.
It took the approach of designing a coolstore from scratch. What is the best practice? What refrigeration technologies are available and how should the most appropriate one be selected? The same approach was to be taken for insulation, electrical power, materials handling, fire protection, structure.
The working party may produce an IPENZ Practice Note that discusses the known technologies, relevant standards and codes, capital and operating costs, and other engineering matters. Practice Notes are filed on the public part of the IPENZ website, and so the working party’s output would become a public document.
The following organisations are represented on the working party:
Gerry Coates, Chair and Wise Analysis Ltd
Greg Baker, Fire Protection Association (FPA) and BRANZ
Rachel Harvie, NZ Cold Storage Association
Alan Moule, Department of Building and Housing
Charles Willmot, IPENZ Director – Engineering
Cameron Smart, IPENZ Engineering Practice Manager
Ian Connor, Sinclair Knight Merz (SKM)
Chris Mak , Society of Fire Protection Engineers (SFPE) and Aon Insurance
Neil Gravestock, SFPE and Marsh Ltd
Dave Hipkins, FPA and Tyco Wormald Fire & Security
Graham Rundle, Redco Ltd
John Richards, Waikato Branch IPENZ
Mike Odey, International Institute of Refrigeration (IIR)
Murray Butler, Institute of Heating, Refrigeration, and Air Conditioning Engineers (IHRACE)
Mike Simpson, SFPE and MacDonald Barnett Partners Ltd
