What Extinguisher? Dry Powder? CO2?

[moody1]

Asked HWMBO about Halon as he used to look after Halon installations on ships. He reckoned that certain types were banned. But didn't know if the later accepted type had been later.
Dry-powder, he knows of Telephone exchanges that have been ruined by use of DP.
A trick he was taught by Fire People, from a ships experience, is the use of DP fired through a water wall. But as he said, that is ships gear with high pressures and large DP gear.

He did remark that the worst in his opinion were the Vapourising Fluid jobs made for cars.

He fitted to our boat a) Stored pressure Foam ext. b) DP ext., c) good size Fire Blanket. - I trust his judgement.

 

[sarabande]

I was being very careful, as I believe that csail has a medical connection.


But,

make no bloody bones about it, Halon, when brought in contact with fire does produce toxic products, such as HBr, HCl, and HF. (These are actually the radicals which act as anticatalysts to interrupt the combustion -) They are nasty toxins, but would be present in dangerous quantity only in the context of a large fire, an exceptionally hot fire, or in a small enclsed space, and only over minutes of exposure. Being irritants, these toxins provide their own warning of exposure. One could reasonably assume that in a fire of this size, the occupants would already have left because of the heat and smoke present.

Halon flooding systems do NOT displace enough air so as to be a hazard of suffocation. CO2 systems, by contrast, lower the oxygen content of the room to a level which supports neither combustion nor human life.

AND
FIRE PROTECTION HANDBOOK, NFPA, 16th ed., 1986, ch.19-2.
An exceptional book on the subject of fire protection
in many areas.


AND then, there's the impact on the environment. Not YOUR environment, but OUR environment. Wise up, don't just bleat.



The message is, get rid of your halon extinguishers FFS. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

 

[Dyflin]

Marine Notice No 38 of 2003. Decommissioning of Halon Systems
Break line image
22 August 2006
Decommissioning of Halon Systems

European Union (EU) Regulation 2037/2000 requires the decommissioning of certain ozone depleting substances throughout the European Union. Halon used for fire fighting purposes on board ships and fishing vessels is included in the lists of substances to be decommissioned.

Regulation 2037/2000 requires, amongst other things, that all fire fighting equipment in the EU containing halons must be decommissioned before 31/12/2003 and that the sale and use of halon, including material that has been recovered or recycled, is prohibited from 31/12/2003.

Annex VII of Regulation 2037/2000 provides exceptions to these requirements, for critical use, which reads:


for the making inert of occupied spaces where flammable liquid and/or gas release could occur in the military and oil, gas and petrochemical sector, and in existing cargo ships.

The Commission considers that this critical use in respect to existing cargo ships does not extend to the use of halon in ships where it is used as a fire-extinguishing medium but rather to the making inert of occupied spaces.

The Department of Communications, Marine & Natural Resources knows of no vessels on the Irish Register of Ships where this exception would be applicable.

As Regulation 2037/2000 is an EU Regulation it is directly applicable within all member states. An EU company will be in breach of the regulation if they supply halon to any flag vessel after 31/12/2002 and any EU flag vessel will be in breach of the regulation if it retains a halon system after 31/12/2003. There is no provision for the Maritime Safety Directorate to issue exemptions to this Regulation.

Accordingly all interested parties are notified of this regulation by way of this Marine Notice and urged to ensure compliance.

Any replacement systems must comply with the EU Marine Equipment Directive and be approved. Further advice on approved systems may be obtained from the Marine Survey Office of the Maritime Safety Directorate.

Director General
Maritime Safety Directorate
Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources
Leeson Lane
Dublin 2

 

[ccscott49]

Why has nobody mentioned the Halon replacement types? That´s what I have fitted in my engine room and two extra around the boat, plus four dry powder.

If the truth be known I also have two halon ones left, nobody here in Spain will take them away and dipose of them properly. I suppose I could get them taken away, but I doubt they would be diposed of correctly, so I´ll keep them for an emergency.

 

[Csail]

I do agree with you but as i have two seperate auto engine room extinguishers (Halon replacement in date) and numerous powder,co2 and foam, i just think i may aswell keep the halon on board.
It is a similar situation as keeping the flare pack on board which expired last year along with the new offshore pack.
During fire training in the military they reckoned halon was the best.
Best bet is not to start a fire to start with. In the last maybe 4yrs we have seen 2 boats explode from gas and another with a petrol fire , all 3 were written off but nobody killed. Interestingly the cat exploded from static off the kids tracksuit apparently, the other was lighting the cooker and no idea about the petrol but it sank out in the channel.
Some guy came to view my boat because his mate had one, he was telling me about an engine fire on his mates hence i now have two autos in the engine room.

 

[Ruffles]

I did the same for a while - had a halon firemaster automatic for the engine.

However took it out of the bracket to check it last year and discovered it was completely empty. What amused me is that the pressure gauge was still showing green! I presume it must have fired when we were not motoring because it would have stopped the engine. There was some staining on a water pipe near the nozzle so it seems to have 'gone off' rather than leaked.

Anyway, new firemaster halon replacement now fitted. Apparently it's guaranteed - though I may not be in a position to claim if it doesn't work /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

 

[ccscott49]

OK, if they are banned, why then, on the easyjet flight from Luton to Barcelona on monday, they have Halon, (not replacement, said Halon on the extinguisher) fitted on the plane? (just by the back door, if your interested.
I am well aware of the dangers of Halon, to the enviroment, but are the replacements any better for your health? I know the answer to that, no they aren´t! They are better for the enviroment. I have fitted new replacement ones in my engine room, but no matter what you say, will keep the old Halons. When they are no longer of use, I´ll get rid of them.