Could you possibly enjoy greater fire protection than being surrounded by 9,000 sprinklers? These sprinkler nozzles form an important safety factor in the new building of the Ministries of Justice and the Interior in The Hague. Chris van der Perk, Director of Sprinkler Technology (Building Services), speaks about the project in glowing terms.

'This contract, totalling more than 40,000 assembly hours, is highly welcome in these economically uncertain times,' says Van der Perk. 'Sticking to the schedule is the key to project’s success. The sprinklers are being installed throughout the complex on nine floors from ground floor up, on top of which there will be two towers with 29 building levels each. It adds up to a height of 142 m'.

The contract includes four alarm valves and eighty flow switches that will provide correct signalling. Extinguishing water will be discharged from a specially made basement using an electric and diesel powered multistage sprinkler pump. Van der Perk: 'The engineers, project leaders, fitters and foremen will work non-stop to make sure that everything runs smoothly until completion by the end of 2012.