Midland Fire helps Ornua Foods UK become cream of the crop with fire safety upgrade
Continually working towards their vision of becoming the ‘Region’s Preferred Employer’, Ornua Foods UK (previously Adams Foods) has played an important role in the Leek community for nearly 100 years. To keep up their strong reputation for looking after their employees, they got in touch with us to refurbish their fire alarm system and get their Staffordshire site up to the very best standards.
At Midland Fire, we’re proud to be community-focused, so helping a pinnacle of local employment reach optimum safety standards was a key project for us. From April to June 2024, we worked on-site at their Leek-based premises to complete a full fire alarm system swap-out, including several improvements to help their business meet current British standards.
Working with principal electrical contractor Smart Electrical Installations Ltd, our team was tasked with replacing Ornua’s fire system as well as adding enhancements such as superior control panels, loop devices and the Drax 360 front-end graphics package. We were working in a live factory environment where food and cheese were being produced, so our team had to take care to respect both the staff at work there and the strict levels of cleanliness required of the site.
“Our team excelled when working in a live environment thanks to our versatility and expertise. Ornua Foods is a well-known employer in the area, so we were pleased to be able to help them get their premises up to optimum standards.”
Thomas Sleath, Business Development Manager, Midland Fire
Ornua Foods UK, Leek, Staffordshire
Based in the heart of Leek, Ornua Foods UK is the largest supplier of British and Irish cheese in the UK market. A subsidiary of Ornua, Ireland’s largest dairy cooperative, the company produces and purchases dairy products for well-known brands like Kerrygold, Pilgrims Choice and MU.
The company is focused on sustainability, investing in initiatives to reduce environmental impact across the supply chain, and they deliver high quality customer service, promoting innovative ways of working. They place great emphasis on creating a safe and secure working environment for the 700+ staff working in their state-of-the-art cheese packing site in the Staffordshire Moorlands, so we chose the most cutting-edge in fire safety solutions to protect both their staff and their facilities.
Installing fire alarm systems at Ornua Foods UK
The project
We were contacted by Ornua Foods to complete a full fire alarm refurbishment at their premises. We also installed several additional enhancements which were needed for the site to meet and comply with current BS5839 fire alarm system requirements. The project spanned the business’ main production factory area, the gatehouse and their main office spaces.
Our fire alarm engineers carried out a full assessment of the site before choosing the technology to take Ornua Foods to the next level of fire safety. We installed the following:
- Open protocol fire alarm system
- Advanced MxPro 5 control panels
- Hochiki loop devices
- Drax 360 graphical PC-based front-end enhancement
We swapped out the site’s existing fire alarm system for a full upgrade of their fire safety technology. The system’s network now consists of three control panels – one in each of their main areas – and all devices are fully networked and integrated to one main system within the business.
The challenges
Working in a live factory environment presented our team with significant challenges on this project. Due to continuous operation, we had to carefully plan our time management to ensure that our installation took place only when it was safe to do so. Factories also have complex layouts, which was something we had to take into account when planning the install.
As the factory produces food products, we also had to adhere to very strict health and safety protocols by wearing full coveralls and PPE. With extensive experience in similar workplaces, our team took this all in their stride and completed the installation with minimum disruption to the company’s operation.
The best in fire safety technology
At Midland Fire, our engineers are always up to date with the latest products and innovations. This allows us to consistently deliver the highest standard of service to our clients and we install only the best in fire safety technology.
Here’s a brief overview of why we chose the following products for Ornua Foods UK:
Open protocol fire alarm system
Open protocol systems offer a high level of flexibility, as components from a wide variety of different suppliers can be installed within the same system. This allows us to pick and choose the most reliable and well-tested technology to suit our clients’ needs.
Advanced MxPro 5 control panels
The MxPro 5 panel is a next-generation piece of fire technology offering premium versatility and design flexibility. Its processor is the most powerful yet for faster response times, its programming is intuitive, and it’s a sustainable choice too.
Hochiki loop devices
Manufactured by Hochiki, one of the world’s leading manufacturers of commercial fire detection solutions, these devices are the epitome of high-integrity and long-term reliability. They’re also extremely cost-effective, consuming very low levels of electrical current.
Drax 360 front-end graphics
Drax 360 is a computer system that displays live information in easy-to-understand graphics, helping the client monitor and control their fire system. It simplifies complex data, showing graphical representations of events including fire signals for quicker real-time responses.
Looking for commercial fire alarm installation in Staffordshire?
We provide fire risk assessment and life safety solutions in Staffordshire as well as the surrounding counties across the Midlands.
At Midland Fire, we’ll work with you to plan and deliver the optimum life safety solution for your premises, including ongoing maintenance, support, and fire safety training. At Midland Fire WE PROTECT.
For more information and a free consultation contact Midland Fire Security Services Ltd.
