Ceasefire UK, a manufacturer of fire-safety solutions, believes that many businesses are wise to be seeking ‘green and clean’ products for firefighting, and educating all potential users of them ahead of an incident.
Official findings from the Home Office’s online Incident Recording System (IRS) shows that the public used fire extinguishers in just 7% (4,828) of the 68,757 primary fires attended by FRSs in England in the year ending March 2020, and much of this may be down to fear over damage, inadequate training, or which extinguisher to use. It may also be down to environmental concerns. Searches on Google for ‘eco-friendly fire extinguishers’ doubled between August and October 2020 showing an appetite and interest in this area. The growing preference for advanced and eco-friendly fire-suppression systems is a sign of the times.
There continues to be environmental concerns about firefighting foams, and only since the introduction of environmental regulations during the past decade or so on fluorine-based AFFFs have many manufacturers taken the development challenge seriously, leading the way with the technological innovation of their environmental extinguishers and sustainable suppression systems.
Darren Barnes, Sales Manager at Ceasefire adds: ‘We think there is a real opportunity now for the fire trade to be educating on the benefits of greener fire safety. With the world constantly under threat of total resource depletion and eventual extinction, sustainability and planet preservation have to be at the heart of every industry’s agenda, both now and later. We are seeing lots of interest in our GreenMist fire extinguisher because it covers Class A, B, C, F and electrical fires. The only fire class it doesn’t fight against is D – combustible metals.
‘GreenMist gets the gold star for innovation and the green medal for its environmental friendliness for no chemicals or synthetics, no mess and no damage other than to the fire. Many clients are looking to ensure that they have eco-friendly credentials in every area of their business, and fire safety is no different. If it’s understood, it’s likely to be used, and that’s what matters.’
Darren continues: ‘The use of “clean agents”, such as fluoroketone (FK), completely safe with zero ozone depletion potential (ODP), and non-plastic, epoxy lining instead of the UK-standard plastic coating, makes fire safety of the future both ‘earth kind’ and effective against blazes. Amazingly, FK extinguishers leave no residue after use making them the perfect choice for electronic equipment and in an increasingly tech-dependent world, this is the way forward. There are two types of “clean agent” suppression systems that provide greener alternatives to the sprinkler system – watermist suppression systems and epoxy-lined, spray-coated fire extinguishers. But there are several options and configurations to choose from within these two delivery system types from green foam mist, foam mist and water mists through to auto-quell systems and beyond.’
