Omega sprinkler heads

Since fire represents the greatest potential threat to Cultural
Institutions and their collections, I feel it is my duty to notify
everyone on the lists, and ask them to notify the proper individuals
in their institutions, about a product--Omega Fire Sprinkler Heads
manufactured by Central Sprinkler Corp of Landsdale, PA USA.  This
product may be defective and likely to fail.

In an article appearing in The Washington Post of today and the
subject of a TV segment on NBC's "Dateline" last evening, The U.S.
Consumer Product Safety Commission announced action this week
against Central Sprinkler Corp., seeking a recall of the company's
Omega fire sprinklers.  The commission staff filed an administrative
law complaint alleging the sprinklers were defective and likely to
fail.

The complaint cited six fires in which Omega sprinklers reportedly
failed in support of a U.S. nationwide recall of 10 million Omega
sprinkler heads manufactured since 1982.

    The company said, "The Omega works.  It has been successfully
    controlling fires for 15 years years."  Central said it already
    had spent more than $ 5 million in a voluntary remediation
    program since it learned of concerns about sprinkler activation
    in early 1996.

    The above is quoted from the Washington Post article of 7 March
    1998.

Suggested Action:  You should notify the proper person responsible
for fire protection in your institution to see if you have any Omega
sprinkler heads in your facility. If your institution has Omega
sprinkler heads, you should work with your local fire dept and/or a
local fire protection engineer in order to take the proper steps
suggested by these fire protection experts.

Roger Wulff
Museum Services International

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                  Conservation DistList Instance 11:76
                 Distributed: Wednesday, March 11, 1998
                       Message Id: cdl-11-76-003
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