Page 50 - Occupational Health & Safety, December 2017

FIRE & EMERGENCY
To fight any fire effectively, the person operating the extinguisher must be able to move around easily and safely while holding the extinguisher.
threat. For that reason, flexibility and ease of use is often a priority for organizations focused on minimizing risk.
Today’s leading cartridge operated por- tables take ease of use into consideration, with ergonomically designed features to maximize operator performance. Carrying handles are positioned so the extinguisher hangs at a 45-degree angle off to the side so it can be easily carried up and down stairs. Nozzles are designed to point at the base of the fire when squeezed for easier and more precise agent delivery. Hoses are longer, giving operators greater flexibility to use the fire extinguisher. When combined, fea- tures such as these make it possible for peo- ple to fight fires more effectively, minimize potential damage to property, and, most importantly, minimize risk to themselves and their colleagues.
The Right Tool for the Toughest Jobs
In high-risk environments, cartridge oper- ated high-flow extinguishers are designed to deliver a number of advantages over tra- ditional stored pressure models: greater up- time, ease of use, durability, and reliability. Combined, these attributes deliver not only the best firefighting effectiveness when faced with pressure, obstacle, or three-di- mensional fires, but also they can deliver a greater lifetime value.
While the selection of a high-flow ex- tinguisher may seem counter-intuitive as it may have a lower rating, remember that in these situations higher flow rate is more important than UL fire rating. The National Fire Protection Association recognized this in its 2007 edition of NFPA 10, and recent testing validates that NFPA mandate. As a result, professionals in high-risk industries are urged to look beyond the UL rating and ensure they select extinguishers with the firefighting capability, reliability, and dura- bility necessary to protect people, property, and profitability in the event of a fire.
Sam Boraas is Director, Portables and Agents Product Management, Fire Suppres- sion Products, for Johnson Controls
REFERENCES
1. www.nfpa.org/news-and-research/fire-statis- tics-and-reports/fire-statistics/fires-by-property- type/industrial-and-manufacturing-facilities/ fires-in-us-industrial-and-manufacturing-facilities
What the New Test Results Show
In the summer of 2017, Johnson Controls conducted a series of tests designed to com- pare the firefighting effectiveness of various extinguishers in flammable liquid in-depth and pressurized flammable liquid and gas fires. The results confirm the findings of NFPA 10 subsection 5.5, ten years prior.
Under the test conditions, across mul- tiple types of Class B fires in high-risk en- vironments, high-flow cartridge operated extinguishers provide the best protection even though they may not have the highest UL ratings.
Not All High-Flow Extinguishers are Created Equal
Although the most recent tests continue to show high-flow extinguishers can per- form better in high-risk environments with flammable liquids and gases, not all high- flow extinguishers are created equal. It’s important to get the right tool for the job, one that will minimize risk to people and property in the event of a fire and will also deliver the best return on investment.
For example, a cartridge operated por- table extinguisher typically carries a higher initial cost when compared to a stored pres- sure model. But leading cartridge operated models offer greater lifetime value because their features are designed specifically for the operational and environmental chal- lenges of high-risk industries.
When Uptime is a Priority
High-risk environments require work site fire extinguishers to be fully functional before any work can commence. So if an extinguisher has been used, damaged, or accidentally discharged, there can be con- siderable downtime until the unit is re- placed or recharged.
A cartridge operated portable extin- guisher can be recharged on site in a matter of minutes without any special tools, which means the process will typically have little or no impact on uptime. By contrast, stored pressure extinguishers must be recharged by a trained service technician at a dis- tributor’s shop using special equipment or by bringing a qualified technician and their
equipment directly to the site, which can also cause considerable downtime.
When Durability is a Priority
In tough, high-hazard environments, fire extinguishers are put to the test. They may be subject to heavy vibration, hard shocks, harsh weather, or direct sunlight; less-than- optimal conditions. It’s not unusual, for example, for gauges on stored pressure ex- tinguishers to become damaged, for valves to break off, for leaks to occur, or for My- lar nameplates to fade in direct sunlight, making it difficult to know whether the model meets current listing standards or should be removed from service. Quality cartridge operated portable extinguishers, by contrast, leave little to chance. They are designed specifically to endure conditions found in most industrial, high-risk envi- ronments, with heavier gauge steel shells, fewer potential leak paths than stored pres- sure models, and the elimination of inher- ently fragile gauges. And as a result of the propellant cartridge discharge, the agent is fluidized immediately prior to use, which helps to combat the compaction effects of significant vibration.
When Reliability is a Priority
A fire extinguisher can only be effective if it works when it’s needed. Cartridge oper- ated portables are designed so that all mov- ing parts can be inspected at any time, not just every six years as is the case with stored pressure models.
By offering easy, any-time accessibility to the mechanics of the extinguisher, car- tridge operated portables give everyone at the work site the confidence in know- ing that if they reach for an extinguisher, it will perform as expected, because there are no second chances when it comes to fighting fire.
When Ease of Use is a Priority
To fight any fire effectively, the person oper- ating the extinguisher must be able to move around easily and safely while holding the extinguisher. This is especially critical in high-risk environments where the opera- tor may not be able to run away from the
46 Occupational Health & Safety | DECEMBER 2017
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