Case Study: Pick n Pay achieves reliable early fire detection for cold storage with Xtralis VESDA ASD

Pick n pay installs VESDA ASD to protect its cold storage facilities

Pick n Pay, a leading supermarket chain in Africa, expanded central cold-storage distribution to improve freshness and service. Their Philippi coldstore faced a high fire risk—combustible packaging, pallets and high airflow mean fires spread rapidly, and conventional detectors fail in sub-zero, high-ceiling, in-rack environments and are often unsuitable below 0°C.

They installed VESDA aspirating smoke detection (VLI/VLC/VLP) with a refrigerated sampling kit and analytics via installation partner IDtek, commissioned to the site’s exact conditions. The system delivers very early pre-combustion detection, flexible pipe networks and low nuisance alarms, resulting in reliable operation at -40°C to -15°C, reduced installation/maintenance costs, minimized product loss and downtime, and improved safety and continuity.

Pick n Pay

Craig Adendorff

Key Account Manager