12 www. refrigerationandaircon. co. za RACA Journal I January 2026
BUSINESS ANALYSIS business
“ IF YOU CAN’ T START A FIRE, YOU’ LL NEVER HAVE TO PUT ONE OUT”
By Eamonn Ryan
How low-oxygen technology is protecting warehouses from fire.
In a warehouse, fire doesn’ t feel like an imminent threat. But ask any risk assessor or insurer, and they ' ll tell you: the danger is real, persistent and potentially catastrophic.
For decades, warehouses and factories have relied on fire suppression systems – sprinklers, foams, inert gas floods – to manage the risk. But a shift is taking place. Instead of putting fires out after they start, what if we simply made it impossible for them to start at all?
That’ s the principle behind Hypoxic Fire Prevention – a system that maintains oxygen levels in a safe breathable range between 15 – 17 %, by infusing nitrogen into the protected space, creating conditions where fire can ' t ignite.
According to Andrew Brink, CEO of Gas At Site, this technology is already safeguarding some of the world’ s most sensitive facilities. Developed by European innovator Isolcell and now immediately implementable in South Africa by Gas At Site, it’ s in use across a broad range of industries in Europe such as pharmaceuticals, high-bay logistics centres, data centres and food storage as well as at high-value sites such the MUNCH Art Studio in Oslo where the Isolcell N2ORS system protects priceless art.
“ If there’ s no oxygen, there’ s no ignition,” says Brink.“ It’ s proactive – not reactive. That’ s the key difference.”
Traditional fire suppression systems wait for a fire to begin before acting. This delay, even just seconds, can be devastating in environments with tightly packed cardboard boxes, electronics or polymers – all of which burn quickly and destructively. Suppression solutions like sprinklers pose a secondary threat: water damage. For facilities with electronics and sensitive inventory, the water can be just as harmful as the fire.
12 www. refrigerationandaircon. co. za RACA Journal I January 2026