60 | CONTRACTING RyanFire Products Passive fire products for every situation Sue Russell RyanFire Products develop and supply a vast array of passive fire technologies. When asked to describe what the Passive Fire sector is all about, Ben Graves, General Manager for RyanFire Products Ltd, has an easy way of explaining it. “People are familiar with seeing fire protection equipment in buildings, such as sprinkler systems, fire-extinguishers. “What the Passive Fire sector concerns itself with is everything that can’t be seen in the structure of the building, ensuring that fire cannot breach from one space to another.” RyanFire Products develops and supplies a whole array of passive fire technologies. All are fire-rated following testing. Ben says the best way to describe the business is that it is ‘solution’s focused’. “You very much have to have that mind-set in this industry. There is not one standard design or product for any specific situation because the way buildings are constructed can vary hugely, so we have to be able to adapt and supply passive fire equipment specifically for each situation.” The company is based in Wairau Valley, Auckland and works alongside a network of skilled installers throughout New Zealand. Given the history and experience of the team at RyanFire Products the business acts as a consultant to builders, fire-engineers, and architects. Asked how COVID impacted the company last year and this, Ben says initially in the very early days of lock-down the need to ensure constant communication with customers was essential. “We weren’t certain how things were going to play out in the first lockdown but we quickly realised it was important to be in contact. “Once we came out of lockdown and sites developed systems to work at Level 3, then things began to open up again. “We’ve noticed this time around, that construction sites have their systems in place and there has been less of a negative impact.” The Passive Fire sector in New Zealand is relatively young but with a history of global engagement on major projects, the company’s director has established the company as this country’s leading manufacturer, tester and supplier of Passive Fire technologies. Ben says one of RyanFire Products’ core strengths is its ability to nimbly respond to what the market is demanding; creating bespoke passive fire solutions in a short space of time. “Builders may be part way through a project and strike a problem and this is when our capabilities come to the fore. We can either find the solution from our range of products or create it.” All fire-rating technologies must be tested before being approved for use on buildings. RyanFire Products Ltd has access to six testing labs and Ben says, the ability to have products tested quickly has strengthened the company’s capacity. Passive Fire Stopping | Structural Protection | Consulting for Third-Party Inspections & Sign-off 09 600 1973 info@greenfirenz.co.nz www.greenfirenz.co.nz GreenFire NZ is a dedicated and trusted passive fire protection (PFP) company servicing the North Island region. Passive fire protection aims to protect and save lives. Working with the commercial, industrial, residential and healthcare sectors, GreenFire NZ brings years of unrivalled experience and expertise in the supply and installation of passive fire protection systems. He also feels that the importance of Passive Fire protection as a discipline within the construction sector needs more recognition. Fortunately, the Fire Protection Association of New Zealand (FPANZ), of which Managing Director, Paul Ryan, is currently Vice-President, has been working hard to create the framework for a NZQA qualification in Fire Protection. Ben says the implications of this work cannot be underestimated. “FPANZ got together and wrote the curriculum. The understandings a person undertaking this training will gain comes from all angles of the industry. This is going to be of tremendous benefit across the building sector in years to come.” When considering the flourishing of high-density housing precincts, large-scale retail and commercial complexes, housing multiple tenants, the importance of being able to retain fire to a specific area is even more important than ever today. “Consider a shopping mall. If a fire starts in one shop, the quality of the Passive Fire technologies used makes all the difference as to how long it is contained in that space, giving time for the damage to be held within that area and to be dealt with before undermining the structural integrity of the building.”
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