Sprinkler system technology has made great advances in recent years. Property owners can now install more effective, flexible and environmentally friendly systems at a lower cost - and that is good news for many, says Allan Macpherson, Chief Engineering Technical Specialist, FM Global.

The planned expansion of the Panama Canal is one of the largest and most prestigious hydraulic engineering projects in decades. With over $3.48 billion at stake, remote locations, and a frenetic 24/7 work schedule, the challenges for vehicle suppression specialists are considerable. We joined Ardent on the front line.

Major incidents continue to shape the fire and safety industry but the resulting requirement for better process and safety information is - arguably - causing information overload. This is in turn resulting in higher processing costs for plant operators and EPCs contractors. Jose Sanchez de Muniain talks to Clive Wilby of global engineering data management specialist AVEVA, about what can be done at enterprise level to meet current - and future - process and safety challenges.

"Lick and stick" wireless fire detection systems that could be used to protect lives and property on construction sites are just one of the latest initiatives being developed by Notifier by Honeywell. Managing Director Mark Ayton talks to Jose Sanchez de Muniain about the latest thinking in fire safety - including the idea that the technology to cure false alarms is with us already.

Floating production storage and offloading units and other offshore assets require critical firewater to be readily available at a moment's notice - but how to endure fire systems and piping are not adversely affected by the challenging environments they are expected to work in? Jose Sanchez de Muniain looks at the latest in fire water protection solutions as well as more established systems.

The explosive growth of the internet and other information technologies has resulted in ceaseless demands for uninterruptible capacity in the electronic data centers - Kurt Werner and Joe Ziemba from 3M focus on a sustainable clean agent solution for life safety and property protection.

Foam for ARFF operations: why we need the Environmental Impact System and Qualified Products List, by Roger A Klein, Cambridge.

There are some products in the market that claim to be both environmentally friendly and effective against class A and B fires. But how many products are there in the market that can do this, and also clean up after hydrocarbon spills, or even stimulate their natural biodegradation process in soil and groundwater? Jose Sanchez de Muniain talks to Ioannis Athanasiou, Technical Director of the Viennese company Bioversal International.

New technology means that prevention and decontamination plans involving substances such as Anthrax and toxic gases can be accurately set up for airports and railways stations. Jose Sanchez de Muniain talks to Raymond Andrieu of HyGie-Tech.

Haagen recently completed construction of a full-scale industrial emergency training facility in Dordrecht, The Netherlands. The result is a multi-scenario training complex that incorporates industrial, petrochemical, and commercial fire simulations to provide intensely realistic hands-on training for both industrial and municipal fire brigades.