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John Davidson discusses the issues relating to selection, design, installation and maintenance of fixed gaseous fire suppression systems and the selection and maintenance of portable fire extinguishers
The regulatory reform (fire safety) Order 2005 (RRO) and the Fire (Scotland) Act 2005 came into effect on 1 October 2006. These require that any equipment provided to protect people from, or to mitigate the effects of, fire is designed, installed, commissioned and maintained by competent people and that such equipment is “subject to a suitable system of maintenance and maintained in an efficient state, in efficient working order and in good repair”.
Approved Document B 2006 (part of the Building Regulations for England & Wales), the Chief Fire Officers’ Association’s (CFOA) Policy and other documents, now recognise and acknowledge the importance of third-party certification schemes in helping to ‘prove’ competence through independent inspection.
Much emphasis, rightly so, has been placed on the provision of fire detection and alarm systems by companies who have been approved to third-party certification schemes, such as NSI Fire Gold and Fire Silver. Many organisations, such as local authorities and insurers, are insisting that their providers are now certificated to such a scheme. What about, however, other equipment provided in premises such as portable fire extinguishers and fixed gaseous fire suppression systems?
Almost all non-domestic premises in the UK will be provided with portable fire extinguishers. These can quickly become ‘part of the furniture’ in a building – so much so that they are often seen being used as doorstops, usually to keep fire doors open!
All right on the night?
Unlike fire detection and alarm systems, however, which can be tested by end-users on a regular basis to see if they function correctly, when do you find out if a fire extinguisher works? The only time you will find out is if you need to use it in an emergency – hardly the ideal time to discover that the extinguisher in your hand is actually more use as a doorstop!
In the same way as different fire detection devices are more suitable for different fire risks, the ‘responsible person’ needs to ensure that they have the correct type and adequate provision of fire extinguishers. Portable fire extinguishers should be selected and installed in accordance with British Standard BS 5306-8:2000 and maintained to BS 5306-3:2003. But how do you know if your portable fire extinguisher provider or maintainer is operating to these standards?
Firstly, ensure that the technicians employed by your provider are BAFE ST104 registered. The BAFE ST104 registered technicians scheme assesses an individual’s competency in the provision and maintenance of portable fire extinguishers. The initial certification lasts for three years, after which the individual must be re-examined in order to maintain their BAFE registration.
Secondly, ensure that the provider has been approved to the BAFE SP101 scheme specification for contract maintenance of portable fire extinguishers. This scheme requires that the provider has a BS EN ISO 9001:2000 quality management system, certificated by a UKAS accredited third-party certification body such as NSI, and that its technicians are registered on the ST104 scheme.
Moving on from portable fire extinguishers, let’s look at the provision of fixed gaseous fire suppression systems. Although end-users can carry out limited testing of their systems, the only time the efficacy of the system can be categorically proven is when it is actually required to operate under the conditions it was designed for.
Many people see the design of these systems as a black art involving complex formulae and lengthy calculations. It is, however, absolutely imperative that these systems are designed, installed, commissioned and maintained correctly.
Systems that are incorrectly designed can lead to the protected area being under-gassed and therefore not capable of extinguishing a fire, or over-gassed which could lead to either structural damage to the protected area and/or harm to people who may inadvertently be in the protected area when the extinguishant is discharged. Also, failure by the installation and/or the commissioning engineers to follow the system design and the use of incorrect maintenance procedures can all contribute to a system’s ineffectiveness.
There are several standards and codes of practice that deal with the provision and maintenance of fixed gaseous fire suppression systems, for example BS ISO 14520, BS 7273-1 and BS 6266.
If you are considering having such a system installed, make sure that the company you contract to carry out the work has the necessary competency to carry out the task. NSI operates the BAFE SP203 modular scheme for fire alarm, detection and suppression systems, and also the BAFE SP101 scheme covering contract maintenance of portable fire extinguishers and the registered fire extinguisher service technicians scheme.
Installer opportunities
In today’s depressed economic climate, companies are looking to diversify and increase the portfolio of services they can offer to their clients and offer a ‘one-stop shop’. A number are looking to become involved in the supply of portable fire extinguishers and, to a lesser extent, gaseous fire suppression systems.
So what are the main points that installers should take into account when providing such equipment and systems? The answer to this question could fill the entire magazine but briefly:
– Primarily, ensure that the personnel involved in the design, installation, commissioning and maintenance of fire extinguishing and suppression systems are adequately trained. Apart from the training already highlighted, ensure that they receive specific manufacturers’ training on the products that are being provided. In addition to this, the Fluorinated Greenhouse Gases Regulations 2008 require that from 4 July this year, people involved in the installation, servicing or maintenance of fire protection systems which contain fluorinated greenhouse gases (HFCs) shall have received appropriate in-house training to carry out the relevant work satisfactorily and to keep training records.
– Secondly, ensure that the equipment being specified is suitable for the type of premises and the risk involved, especially with regard to fire extinguishers. The definition of a portable fire extinguisher is one that weighs no more than 20kgs but there is no point in supplying a few large extinguishers if the occupants of the building will not be able to lift and operate them. Also, care needs to be taken in the selection of the extinguishing medium. As many extinguishers are now suitable for use on different classes of fire, for example A & B or A,B & C, the type of fire that is likely to occur also needs to be taken into account. Class B extinguishers can be either foam or dry powder but a dry powder extinguisher is far more effective on a running fuel fire than a foam extinguisher. Similarly, while most of the proprietary gaseous extinguishing agents available will be suitable for the risks defined in BS ISO 14520-1, the main factor to take into account is the size of the storage containers required. It is no use specifying a system using an inert gas extinguishant if there is insufficient space available to locate the storage cylinders.
Portable fire extinguishers and fire suppression systems are valuable tools in first-aid firefighting, containing the fire until the fire and rescue service arrives, or possibly extinguishing the fire before serious damage can occur. However, if the systems installed are ineffective lives will inevitably be put at risk.
John Davidson is regional fire inspector for the National Security Inspectorate (NSI). To find out more, visit www.nsi-fire.org.uk
IT’S ALL A QUESTION OF CLASS
Fire extinguishers display the classes of fire for which they are suitable, using the letters A, B, C etc. The classification of fires
(BS EN 2) lists the classes of fire as follows:
Class A: for use on flammable solid materials, such as wood, paper, coal, straw and cloth. Combustion normally involves the formation of glowing embers. The most successful method of extinguishing this type of fire is by cooling, so a water extinguisher would normally be chosen for this risk. This type of fire can also be extinguished by smothering or starving the fire of oxygen. A foam or ABC powder extinguisher would be chosen for this reason.
Class B: for use on fires involving flammable liquids or liquefiable solids. Examples of flammable liquids are petrol, methylated spirits, paraffin and paints. Examples of liquefiable solids are grease, lard, margarine and shoe polish. This type of fire is extinguished by smothering and starving the fire of oxygen, so a foam, dry powder or carbon dioxide extinguisher could be chosen for this type of risk.
Class C: for fires involving gases. Examples of flammable gases are propane, acetylene and butane. If there is a gas leak, the fire should be extinguished by closing the gas valve. It cannot be over emphasised that training is crucial when dealing with this type of fire. If for safety reasons the valve cannot be closed, dry powder BC and ABC is recommended. It is at the manufacturer’s discretion to decide whether to mark an extinguisher as suitable for use on a Class C type fire. EN3 only permits powder extinguishers to be marked with a class C after they have achieved a B fire rating (BC powder) or A and B fire ratings (ABC powder).
Class D: for fires involving metals for example: magnesium; sodium; cadmium and manganese. These fires are usually extinguished by smothering and specialist advice is needed to provide suitable extinguishers, because these types of fires can be highly dangerous. These types of fires are extinguished by specialist dry powder extinguishers incorporating a low velocity applicator.
Class F: for use on cooking oil fires. Examples of cooking oils are rapeseed, palm; vegetable, sunflower and olive and these types of fire are extinguished by cooling and smothering. The discharge cools the flames, while the formation of a foam blanket smothers it. Wet chemical (potassium salts) extinguishers are chosen for this risk.
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John Davidson discusses the issues relating to selection, design, installation and maintenance of fixed gaseous fire suppression systems and the selection and maintenance of portable fire extinguishers
The regulatory reform (fire safety) Order 2005 (RRO) and the Fire (Scotland) Act 2005 came into effect on 1 October 2006. These require that any equipment provided to protect people from, or to mitigate the effects of, fire is designed, installed, commissioned and maintained by competent people and that such equipment is "subject to a suitable system of maintenance and maintained in an efficient state, in efficient working order and in good repair".
Approved Document B 2006 (part of the Building Regulations for England & Wales), the Chief Fire Officers’ Association’s (CFOA) Policy and other documents, now recognise and acknowledge the importance of third-party certification schemes in helping to ‘prove’ competence through independent inspection.
Much emphasis, rightly so, has been placed on the provision of fire detection and alarm systems by companies who have been approved to third-party certification schemes, such as NSI Fire Gold and Fire Silver. Many organisations, such as local authorities and insurers, are insisting that their providers are now certificated to such a scheme. What about, however, other equipment provided in premises such as portable fire extinguishers and fixed gaseous fire suppression systems?
Almost all non-domestic premises in the UK will be provided with portable fire extinguishers. These can quickly become ‘part of the furniture’ in a building – so much so that they are often seen being used as doorstops, usually to keep fire doors open!
All right on the night?
Unlike fire detection and alarm systems, however, which can be tested by end-users on a regular basis to see if they function correctly, when do you find out if a fire extinguisher works? The only time you will find out is if you need to use it in an emergency – hardly the ideal time to discover that the extinguisher in your hand is actually more use as a doorstop!
In the same way as different fire detection devices are more suitable for different fire risks, the ‘responsible person’ needs to ensure that they have the correct type and adequate provision of fire extinguishers. Portable fire extinguishers should be selected and installed in accordance with British Standard BS 5306-8:2000 and maintained to BS 5306-3:2003. But how do you know if your portable fire extinguisher provider or maintainer is operating to these standards?
Firstly, ensure that the technicians employed by your provider are BAFE ST104 registered. The BAFE ST104 registered technicians scheme assesses an individual’s competency in the provision and maintenance of portable fire extinguishers. The initial certification lasts for three years, after which the individual must be re-examined in order to maintain their BAFE registration.
Secondly, ensure that the provider has been approved to the BAFE SP101 scheme specification for contract maintenance of portable fire extinguishers. This scheme requires that the provider has a BS EN ISO 9001:2000 quality management system, certificated by a UKAS accredited third-party certification body such as NSI, and that its technicians are registered on the ST104 scheme.
Moving on from portable fire extinguishers, let’s look at the provision of fixed gaseous fire suppression systems. Although end-users can carry out limited testing of their systems, the only time the efficacy of the system can be categorically proven is when it is actually required to operate under the conditions it was designed for.
Many people see the design of these systems as a black art involving complex formulae and lengthy calculations. It is, however, absolutely imperative that these systems are designed, installed, commissioned and maintained correctly.
Systems that are incorrectly designed can lead to the protected area being under-gassed and therefore not capable of extinguishing a fire, or over-gassed which could lead to either structural damage to the protected area and/or harm to people who may inadvertently be in the protected area when the extinguishant is discharged. Also, failure by the installation and/or the commissioning engineers to follow the system design and the use of incorrect maintenance procedures can all contribute to a system’s ineffectiveness.
There are several standards and codes of practice that deal with the provision and maintenance of fixed gaseous fire suppression systems, for example BS ISO 14520, BS 7273-1 and BS 6266.
If you are considering having such a system installed, make sure that the company you contract to carry out the work has the necessary competency to carry out the task. NSI operates the BAFE SP203 modular scheme for fire alarm, detection and suppression systems, and also the BAFE SP101 scheme covering contract maintenance of portable fire extinguishers and the registered fire extinguisher service technicians scheme.
Installer opportunities
In today’s depressed economic climate, companies are looking to diversify and increase the portfolio of services they can offer to their clients and offer a ‘one-stop shop’. A number are looking to become involved in the supply of portable fire extinguishers and, to a lesser extent, gaseous fire suppression systems.
So what are the main points that installers should take into account when providing such equipment and systems? The answer to this question could fill the entire magazine but briefly:
– Primarily, ensure that the personnel involved in the design, installation, commissioning and maintenance of fire extinguishing and suppression systems are adequately trained. Apart from the training already highlighted, ensure that they receive specific manufacturers’ training on the products that are being provided. In addition to this, the Fluorinated Greenhouse Gases Regulations 2008 require that from 4 July this year, people involved in the installation, servicing or maintenance of fire protection systems which contain fluorinated greenhouse gases (HFCs) shall have received appropriate in-house training to carry out the relevant work satisfactorily and to keep training records.
– Secondly, ensure that the equipment being specified is suitable for the type of premises and the risk involved, especially with regard to fire extinguishers. The definition of a portable fire extinguisher is one that weighs no more than 20kgs but there is no point in supplying a few large extinguishers if the occupants of the building will not be able to lift and operate them. Also, care needs to be taken in the selection of the extinguishing medium. As many extinguishers are now suitable for use on different classes of fire, for example A & B or A,B & C, the type of fire that is likely to occur also needs to be taken into account. Class B extinguishers can be either foam or dry powder but a dry powder extinguisher is far more effective on a running fuel fire than a foam extinguisher. Similarly, while most of the proprietary gaseous extinguishing agents available will be suitable for the risks defined in BS ISO 14520-1, the main factor to take into account is the size of the storage containers required. It is no use specifying a system using an inert gas extinguishant if there is insufficient space available to locate the storage cylinders.
Portable fire extinguishers and fire suppression systems are valuable tools in first-aid firefighting, containing the fire until the fire and rescue service arrives, or possibly extinguishing the fire before serious damage can occur. However, if the systems installed are ineffective lives will inevitably be put at risk.
John Davidson is regional fire inspector for the National Security Inspectorate (NSI). To find out more, visit www.nsi-fire.org.uk
IT’S ALL A QUESTION OF CLASS
Fire extinguishers display the classes of fire for which they are suitable, using the letters A, B, C etc. The classification of fires
(BS EN 2) lists the classes of fire as follows:
Class A: for use on flammable solid materials, such as wood, paper, coal, straw and cloth. Combustion normally involves the formation of glowing embers. The most successful method of extinguishing this type of fire is by cooling, so a water extinguisher would normally be chosen for this risk. This type of fire can also be extinguished by smothering or starving the fire of oxygen. A foam or ABC powder extinguisher would be chosen for this reason.
Class B: for use on fires involving flammable liquids or liquefiable solids. Examples of flammable liquids are petrol, methylated spirits, paraffin and paints. Examples of liquefiable solids are grease, lard, margarine and shoe polish. This type of fire is extinguished by smothering and starving the fire of oxygen, so a foam, dry powder or carbon dioxide extinguisher could be chosen for this type of risk.
Class C: for fires involving gases. Examples of flammable gases are propane, acetylene and butane. If there is a gas leak, the fire should be extinguished by closing the gas valve. It cannot be over emphasised that training is crucial when dealing with this type of fire. If for safety reasons the valve cannot be closed, dry powder BC and ABC is recommended. It is at the manufacturer’s discretion to decide whether to mark an extinguisher as suitable for use on a Class C type fire. EN3 only permits powder extinguishers to be marked with a class C after they have achieved a B fire rating (BC powder) or A and B fire ratings (ABC powder).
Class D: for fires involving metals for example: magnesium; sodium; cadmium and manganese. These fires are usually extinguished by smothering and specialist advice is needed to provide suitable extinguishers, because these types of fires can be highly dangerous. These types of fires are extinguished by specialist dry powder extinguishers incorporating a low velocity applicator.
Class F: for use on cooking oil fires. Examples of cooking oils are rapeseed, palm; vegetable, sunflower and olive and these types of fire are extinguished by cooling and smothering. The discharge cools the flames, while the formation of a foam blanket smothers it. Wet chemical (potassium salts) extinguishers are chosen for this risk.