APF Issue 02

APF ON-LINE

www.apfmag.com

An MDM PUBLICATIONIssue 2 – June 2002

ASIA PACIFIC FIRE MAGAZINE

REPORTING TO THE ASIA PACIFIC FIRE PROTECTION AND FIRE SERVICE INDUSTRY

PortableFire

Pumps

PortableFire

Pumps

also ins ideCO2 F ixed Systems

Hong Kong Internat iona l A irportB ig F ire = B ig Water

Thermal Imaging Cameras




OFC IFC IBC OBC 31/10/06 3:47 pm Page ofc1

again EST has revolu-

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standard by incorporating many

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features found in our sophisticated EST3 control

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mercial and institutional buildings. The built-in flexibili-

ty is so robust that even retro-fit installation is simple

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add on to your building’s conventional system. No inter-

nal wiring is required and with QuickStart’s advanced

autoprogramming fea-

tures, installation costs

are minimal. QuickStart

has ample capacity and it

can be configured with as

many as one thousand intelligent devices

(plus NAC circuits) as well as forty eight

conventional circuits.

QuickStart’s user-friendly front

screen interface will be quickly mastered by your own

maintenance personnel—no special training is required.

For more information on QuickStart and our

other state-of-the-art life safety systems or to find the

EST office in your area, please visit the EST

International Web site at: www.estinternational.com,

email us at info@estinter-

national.com, or you can fax

us at (001) 905-270-9553.

NEWcontrol system.

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OFC IFC IBC OBC 31/10/06 3:48 pm Page ifc2

3 Foreword from NFPA

5-6 Portable Fire Pumps

8-9 Choosing The Most EffectiveModern Fire Hoses forFirefighter Safety

11 Big Fire = Big Water

13-14 CO2 Fixed Systems – AResilient, Viable Option in2002

16-17 Rescue Cutters MarketGuide

19-23 Hub of the Far East

25-28 Height Rescue – A DartMember’s Memoir

30-32 NFPA & ISO Standards forFire-Fighter Clothing

35-38 EN & NFPA Standards forSCBA Sets

40-42 More Choice for TargetedSolutions

43-45 No Industry is Safe! Don’tGet Burned by Hot Work

46-48 Beware of the Quick Fix!

49-50 The History & Evolution ofThermal Imaging used inFire-Fighting

52-53 Fire Protection for AboveGround Tanks

54-55 Product Update

56 Advertisers’ Index

ASIA PACIFIC FIREwww.apfmag.com

1

Front cover picture: Courtesy of TaskForce Tips

PublishersMark Seton & David Staddon

Editorial ContributorsDavid Burton, Charles Boon, ArthurCuenca, Doug Pickersgill, Kam Tak Leung,Alan Toh, David Scott, Bruce W. Teele,Steve Tyrrell, Tony Pickett, Tony Hughes,Mark Blank, Colin Buggeln, VeroniqueProbyn, Phil Colley, Shari L. Hunter

General ManagerMaggie Evans

APF is published quarterly by:MDM Publishing Ltd 18a, St James Street, South Petherton, Somerset TA13 5BWUnited KingdomTel: +44 (0) 1460 249199Fax: +44 (0) 1460 249292 e-mail: [email protected]: www.apfmag.com

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Page design by Dorchester Typesetting Group LtdPrinted by The Friary Press Ltd

APF ON-LINE

www.apfmag.com

An MDM PUBLICATION

Issue 2 – June 2002



PortableFire

Pumps

PortableFire

Pumps

also ins ide

CO 2 F ixed Systems

Hong Kong Internat iona l A irport

B ig F ire = B ig Water


also ins ide

CO 2 F ixed Systems

Hong Kong Internat iona l A irport

B ig F ire = B ig Water


June 2002 Issue 2

Contents

APF p. 1-32 31/10/06 4:08 pm Page 1


APF p. 1-32 31/10/06 4:09 pm Page 2

IT SEEMS THAT in the last few weeks, everyfire related magazine or newsletter had anarticle discussing a fireworks disaster at somelocation around the world. As a result I didsome research on the Internet and was takenback by the results. The numbers killed orinjured are unacceptable.

Whilst it is true that fireworks were inventedin China and are of significant culturalimportance in Asia, the problems occurworldwide. Fireworks related tragedies haveoccurred in the following countries to namea few: Peru, Netherlands, China, Mexico,Portugal and the USA. The largest number ofpeople killed in a single incident was over300 persons in Lima, Peru. The other inci-dents have killed smaller numbers of factoryworkers, school children and citizens. Thereare many more people horrifically injured. Itis clear that the manufacturer, storage andretail sale of these products in close proximityto the populace is a recipe for disaster. Thisis borne out by the various incidents, whichhave occurred.

Over time, some jurisdictions haveresponded to these incidents and banned thesale and use of fireworks by the public. A

number of large cities in Asia have such bans(Singapore, Hong Kong, Beijing). These bansdo not preclude public displays managed byprofessionals.

NFPA, a leading authority on fire relatedissues, takes the view that the use of fire-works should be left to the professionals.

When an event occurs involving fireworks,which result in loss of life and injury, there isusually a rush to appoint blame. The personsusually held to account are the businesspeople involved in the manufacture, storageand retail sale of these goods.

Given what we know of the circumstancesleading to these tragedies, it is possible tofind legislative solutions to these problems.Any legislation is only as good as its en-forcement. Given the social, cultural andeconomic implications of such change, it isnot easy and requires courage. Without it wewill see these problems continue.

Jeff GodfredsonNFPA’s Asia-Pacific Operations Director


3

FOREWORDby Jeff GodfredsonNFPA’s Asia-Pacific Operations Director

FIREWORKS

APF p. 1-32 31/10/06 4:09 pm Page 3

The innovations continue...

More efficient, more effective firefightingfrom Hale Products Europe

World Series Pump Modular SystemMulti-pressure pump now available with -● Gearbox● Integrated CAFS● Control Panel -

MiniCAFSCompressed air foam system for any vehicle -● Improved fire knockdown times● Reduced environmental damage● Reduced water use

Powerflow 8/5 Compact PumpNew design portable pump -

● High performance with low noise level● Lightweight compact design

● Exhaust gas ejector or handpriming versions

Instrumentation foremergency vehicles

Tel: +44 (0) 1926 623600Fax: +44 (0) 1926 623666Email: [email protected] IDEX CORPORATIONIDEX CORPORATION

Hale Products Europe LimitedA Unit of IDEX CorporationCharles Street, Warwick,CV34 5LR. England

For details of your local distributor please contact:

Enquiries: www.haleeurope.com

APF p. 1-32 31/10/06 4:10 pm Page 4

There are also the forthcomingEuropean prEN standards forportable pumps to be considered,

these primarily address health and safetyaspects as well as important pumpfeatures, such as operator controls andinstrumentation.

Although lightness and compactnessare high priorities, durability and a highbuild quality are not to be compromised.Features such as wrap-around stainlesssteel frame and corrosion protection forall parts in contact with petrol, greaseand water are essential. The powersource for a portable pump is typically alightweight petrol or diesel engine, reli-able, air-cooled, 18 BHP overhead valveengine, which is quiet, yet powerful.Servicing of the pumps should bestraightforward and all the necessaryspares inexpensive and readily available.The Manufacturer’s warranty is expected

to be at least 12 months duration.Safety is, as always, a high priority

with particular attention focusing onthe engine exhaust. If possible, thismust be fitted with a guard to protectthe operator from high temperatures.An easily accessed fuel shut off valveshould also be fitted to provide a quickand safe method of stopping the unitand containing the fuel. Carrying han-dles attached to the frame are consid-ered essential. The option to fit wheelsto the pump frame is a simple way ofimproving portability. Certain modelsincorporate engine oil cooling to safe-guard the engine in prolonged use.

Priming systems are an importantconsideration. Pumps are now availablewith piston prime, hand prime or thelong established exhaust gas ejectorsystem. With the use of vacuum andpressure gauges to guide the pump

operator, quicker priming and moreefficient pump operation is possible.

In addition to these features portablepumps are now able to incorporate fea-tures such as electric starting, vacuumand pressure gauges and lighting. The 12volt battery system can provide the powerfor a lighting mast and tachometer.

In the not too distant futureportable pump design and manufacturewill be subject to the European stan-dards devised by the CEN (ComitéEuropéen Normalisation). A technicalcommittee, CEN/TC 192, comprised ofleading European pump manufacturershas been devising these standards,currently defined as prEN 1028. Thedefinition of a portable pump is definedas – “Portable pumps are motor pumpsdesigned for fire-fighting which can betransported by hand to the site ofoperation and which are driven by acombustion engine. Portable pumps areintended to be not permanentlymounted in fire-fighting and rescueservice vehicles. This European standarddeals with significant hazards, haz-ardous situations and events, arisingfrom portable pumps used as intendedor arising from conditions foreseen bythe manufacturer or the manufacturer’sauthorised representative. It addresses


5

Picture courtesy of Hale Europe

LightweightPortablePumps

THE LIGHTWEIGHT PORTABLE PUMP has always been an important part ofthe fire-fighter’s equipment, it is a versatile unit playing many roles – supply-ing water from open sources to the main vehicle pump, as a back-up to themain pump and as a pump to relieve flooding. There are increasingdemands for a portable pump to be lighter, more compact and still give apowerful performance, as the space available in appliance compartmentsbecomes more restricted, particularly with the deployment of PositivePressure Ventilation Fans (PPVs). A typical portable pump performance israted at 800l/min at 5 bar and capable of 1400l/min at 3 bar, but iscontained within a 520 x 490 x 584mm envelope.

LightweightPortablePumps

by David BurtonHale Products Europe Ltd

APF p. 1-32 31/10/06 4:10 pm Page 5

the construction, setting, and operationof the portable pump.”

The CEN standards documentationthen proceeds to list the safety andprotective measures required, these aresome of the salient points –

5.1.2.1 Transporting devices andloss of stabilityThe portable pump shall have carryinghandles or an adequate frame design totransport it according to the manufac-turer’s manual. The handles shall bedesigned to withstand at least 2.5times the mass lifted divided by thenumber of carrying handles

Another area addressed is the capabilityof the pump to operate on an incline –

5.2.5.1 Inclination duringoperationAt nominal delivery rate the portablepump shall be fully operational in alldirections up to a slant of 15º from thehorizontal.

Other sections cover –5.1.2.3 Manual starting deviceIf a manual starting device is used itshall be safe from kick back. If a handlestarting equipment is used it shall beaccording to EN ISO 11102

The noise factor is also addressed -5.1.5.1 Noise reduction at sourceby designThe noise at the operating positionshall be as low as practicable by design. . . EN ISO 11688-1 applies.

5.1.5.2 Noise reduction byprotective measuresIf it is not possible to achieve the noisereduction at the source by designmethods, the manufacturer shall,whenever practical, equip the machinewith devices such as noise enclosures,silencers etc.

5.1.6 Electromagnetic compatibility

5.1.6.1 GeneralElectromagnetic emission and immunityof the device shall be controlled so thatit poses no threat to the surroundingenvironment, furthermore the devicemust be immune to the environment ithas to function in.

5.1.6.2 Radiated emissionThe device shall not interfere with anyradio reception in the vicinity of thedevice, as the operator of the deviceshall be able to get information regard-ing the operation.

The standard addresses areas such asthe displays and controls –5.1.83 All instruments shall be vis-ible from the operator’s position.Manual controls and other operatingdevices shall be easy to reach and oper-ate without unreasonable effort.

5.2.14.1 Operating controlsAll operating controls shall be capableof being operated from one position(operator position).

An adjuster for the engine speed.Advice for stopping the engine. An

actuator for suction (if required). A coldstart device (if required).

The fuel system for the pump must providesufficient fuel for one hours running atthe rated delivery performance –5.2.11.1 Independent operationIndependent operation at nominaldelivery rate shall be ensured with apermanently installed fuel tank for atleast one hour.

The maximum weight of a portablepump is defined as –

The maximum mass with the enginefully operational . . . shall not exceed200kgThe unit is required to be fully oper-ational from a cold start

5.2.6 Cold startThe engine shall be capable of operat-ing under full load immediately afterstarting from cold conditions specifiedin EN 1028.

The standards also extend to coverthe documentation that should besupplied with each pump, the in-structions must cover transport andstorage, description of the pump,commissioning, startup, operationand shutdown. The instructions mustof course cover maintenance, servic-ing, faults, causes and remedies.

Of course, a great number of thesepoints are already being addressed bypump manufacturers as an integralpart of a continuous productimprovement policy. It is essential forthe pump manufacturer to consultthe end user from the early stages ofnew product development to ensurethe pump meets, and where possible,exceeds the fire-fighter’s requirements.

The performance and standard ofportable pumps available for fire-fighters continues to improve mainlydue to the combination of customer’sexpectations, competing manufac-turers and the introduction ofexacting European standards.


6

Picture courtesy of Hale Europe

DAVID BURTON

Hale Products Europe LTD

A unit of IDEX Corporation

Charles Street

Warwick CV34 5LR

APF p. 1-32 31/10/06 4:11 pm Page 6


7

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APF p. 1-32 11/21/06 8:37 AM Page 7

Today’s firefighter is faced with notonly a bewildering array of fire hosetypes but also many different quality

levels. To find our way around this mazewe need to better understand the key per-formance indicators when choosing a firefighting hose.

There are several different types of firehose in use around the world today.

CONVENTIONAL HOSESThese are the most basic hose type wherea textile jacket containing the pressure hasan internal lining to prevent water leakingout, but either has no exterior protectionat all, or just a thin coating (usually redpolyurethane) which offers little protec-tion. Conventional hoses still represent theprimary type of fire fighting hose used inmuch of the developing world.

DOUBLE JACKETAnother variation of this old conventionaltype hose has a second protective textilejacket over the inner jacket and lining. Thisis called “Double Jacket” hose, and is stillcommonly used in USA and US influencedmarkets. The outer jacket is designed toprotect the inner jacket during use, howeverthe result is hose that is very heavy (espe-cially when wet) and not very maneuverable.

Such old style conventional and doublejacket type hoses require considerablemaintenance after use. They need regularcleaning and drying, often for severalhours before being stowed away forfuture use. This usually leads to the needto for additional backup stocks to coverthese maintenance periods.

COVERED HOSESIn contrast, these old style conventionaland double jacket hoses are rapidly beingreplaced by maintenance free, lighter,wipe dry modern covered type hoses,which are already the most common type

of fire hose in high risk oil and petro-chemical industries.

The primary method of constructionfor covered hose is the so-called extrudedor ”through the weave” method which hasa textile jacket for pressure retention,woven to allow the cover material to beextruded through the jacket to form anintegral lining and cover in a single oper-ation. This generally produces a verytough and durable hose.

KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORSTo assess the operational performance ofthese hoses we need to delve into the basiccomponents of the hose itself, look at theconstruction and the materials used to seehow these will affect long-term performance.

To do this we can isolate five key per-formance indicators against which a hosemust rate highly to achieve optimum per-formance. These are:

Abrasion Burning Embers KinkingOils & Chemicals Weathering

For each indicator we can rate eachhose, and the more stars achieved the bet-ter. We can then give an overall assessmentof suitability to meet these key perfor-mance indicators. Only hoses with consis-tent high performance across all 6categories will be capable of meeting thedemands for reliability and durability in use.Remember such performance may come ata price but we are talking about the lifelineof a firefighter. Lives could be at risk, somaking the correct decision is critical.

CONSTRUCTION IS THE KEYThe construction and materials of thehose need to be carefully selected to offergood performance in each category andhence deliver a long working life. Withbudgetary constraints common, hoses areunderstandably being expected to last

longer, resist contact with more hazardouschemicals, increase operator safety andconsistently perform to a higher standard.

Lets briefly look at how the choice ofmaterials and construction method caninfluence the key performance indicatorsof any hose.

Indicator 1: ABRASIONTo assess this feature we have to simulatea working hose full of water at 7 bar g.pressure, by using a mechanical abrasionmachine as already incorporated in theBritish and other international standards.The more strokes of the machine the hoseresists, the better its resistance to abra-sion. A high performance hose shouldresist over 125 double strokes.

Conventional type hoses suffer poorperformance in this area, surviving typi-cally 50 double strokes since the jacketyarns holding all the pressure are exposedto abrasion from the moment they areused, damage here from day 1 startsweakening the hose.

Double jacket hoses are well protectedby a second jacket that can wear into ahole before the inner jacket is at risk.They will perform very well in this area.

Covered hoses have a resilient rubbercover to be worn away before the textilejacket is even exposed, so they generallyscore highly in this criteria, depending onthe blend of PVC/Nitrile rubber used andthe jacket material selected. When thecover is chemically bonded to nylon jacketfibres it resists abrasion damage well with190 double strokes achievable withoutburst, but where polyester yarns are usedpoor cover adhesion may result in therubber being “rolled off” the jacket withonly 50 double strokes being recorded.

The material of the conventional typejacket is often polyester and sometimescotton or indeed a mixture. Double jacketis very heavy and consequently more


8

Angus Duraline

Choosing themost effectivemodern fire hoses forfirefighter safety

Choosing themost effectivemodern fire hoses forfirefighter safety

by Charles Boon of Angus Fire

APF p. 1-32 31/10/06 4:12 pm Page 8

prone to kinking than other hose types,which can lead to further damage.

Indicator 2: BURNING EMBERSTo assess this indicator British StandardBS6391 uses a red hot metal cube heatedto 600°C, which is placed on the hosecontaining water pressurised to 7 bar g.pressure. The longer the hose resistsbursting the better its resistance. A highperformance hose should be capable ofresisting a burst for over 35 seconds.

Conventional type hoses suffer poorperformance in this area, since the jacketyarns holding all the pressure are exposedto the burning embers with no protection.The man-made fibres have poor heatresistance and will fail in 2-3 seconds, yetthe cotton or flax yarns will resist heatmarginally better for maybe 4 seconds.

Because Double jacket type hoses have asecond jacket they will resist damage longerbut probably no more than 10-15 seconds.

Covered type hoses vary significantly intheir performance depending on the rub-ber mix of the cover. The more nitrile pre-sent the better the hose resists hotburning embers to exceed the 35 seconds.More of the cheaper PVC additives to thecover reduce resistance to only around12-15 seconds.

Indicator 4: KINKINGKinking is a very important indicator oftenunder-rated by firefighters around theworld. Not only does kinking lead toreduced flows, which in turn can lead toincreased pressure losses along the hose, italso greatly increases the risk of burst fromabrasion at the kink point. Dragging anyhose on a kink point dramatically increasesthe pressure loading at that point which cancreate a kink burst in a matter of seconds.

Hose jackets made from polyester yarnswill kink to a much greater extent thanthose made from nylon (due to the exten-sion characteristics of the material).

Conventional and double jacket typehoses are always made from polyesterincreasing their susceptibility to kinking.

Covered hoses can be manufacturedfrom either material. However, by select-ing a hose with an all-nylon jacket youare assured of minimising kinking andthereby maximising flow and hose life.

Indicator 5: OILS & CHEMICALS Oil, acids and alkalis are common wherefire incidents occur, even as break-down products of the fire dissolvein water. Fire hose is also frequentlyexposed to pools of spilt chemicalsduring operational service in anincident.

Conventional and double jackettype hoses suffer poor performancein this area, since the jacket isexposed to absorption and attack bysuch chemicals. This may causeoften-rapid deterioration in thejackets ability to withstand pressure,and can permit chemical attack ofthe lining, with swelling, weakeningand lack of adhesion leading to pre-mature burst.

Only Covered type hoses with a rubbercover will protect the jacket fibres from con-tact with these chemicals. However, evenwith this type of hose it is critical to demanda product with latex impregnated pinholes.

Indicator 6: WEATHERINGOutdoor exposure to the weather can lead todeterioration of rubber compounds so thatthe rubber hardens and cracks can appear,severely reducing its flexibility and impervi-ous properties. Cracking is largely attribut-able to Ozone attack in the atmosphere.

Conventional and double-jacketedhoses have no cover to be attacked, butozone will attack the rubber linings partic-ularly at stress points and lead to cracking.Most rubbers are susceptible to this attack,which will reduce the life of the hose.

Having a thick rubber cover exposed tothe atmosphere, Covered hoses are at greaterrisk of attack. The compound formulation isthe key to ozone and ultra-violet (UV) resis-tance. Many covered hoses use a highpercentage of PVC and few if any ozone-quenching agents, so they can suffer crack-ing after just 5 hours of acceleratedozone-ageing tests. More typically the bettercovered hoses will withstand 70-80 hours ofthese tests. It is important to demand fromany supplier proof that their hose can with-stand an ozone test exceeding 500 hours.

COUPLINGSThere are a wide range of couplings in use

around the Far East, from traditionalNational Fire Hose threads (NH) in USA,to British Instantaneous, German & DutchStorz, and Japanese and Korean stan-dards. Most types are available in lightalloy for freshwater use, and gunmetal orred brass for hazardous environmentswhere there is an explosive risk like Zone1 areas/mines, or saline water conditions.European couplings normally have a hosetail with ridges upon which the hose iswired on to provide a strong and water-tight seal. Always specify a long tail, asthere is a larger area for binding and lessrisk of couplings working loose or cuttingthrough the lining during stowage. Most American couplings use an expan-sion ring, which traps the hose betweenridges inside the coupling and a copperring, which is expanded under high pres-sure to grip the hose and prevent waterescaping. Storz has the advantage of awider size range than other types and isvery popular internationally for largerdiameter (100-150mm) High Volume relayhoses.

CONCLUSIONSThe table summarises the indicators, andit becomes apparent that to purchase ahose that is both durable and reliable itneeds to score highly in all 5 categories.

So we have identified extruded typecovered hoses as the group most likely tomeet our objectives, but how do we deter-mine which in this group can meet the

criteria and which cannot? Beassured there are many claiming tomeet these tough objectives, yet few can actually deliver bothreliability and durability or long lifein service under widely varyingconditions.

One route is to specify aKitemarked to that meets thestringent requirements of BS6391Type 3. In addition, an all nylonjacket will ensure the highest per-formance in terms of flow and kinkresistance. Only such a hose willoffer the essential long service life,durability and reliability to meetyour objectives.


9

Here the cover and lining of a fire hose are extrudedtogether to form the finished product.

Hose type Conventional Covered

Construction Single jacket Double jacket Extruded Extruded

Key Ingredients Polyester/cotton Polyester/cotton All Polyester jacket All Nylon jacket & jacket, rubber lining jacket, rubber lining & High PVC rubber High Nitrile rubber

Indicator 1: Abrasion O OOOO OOO OOOOO

Indicator 2: Burning Embers O OOO OOO OOOOO

Indicator 3: Kinking OO O O OOOOO

Indicator 4: Oils & Chemicals O O OOO OOOO

Indicator 5: Weathering O OOO OO OOOO

Meets Key objectives? ◆ ◆ ◆ ❖

Table – Comparing hose types

KEY O = Poor OO = Fair OOO = Average OOOO = Good OOOOO = Excellent

Meets criteria ❖ = YES ◆ = NO

APF p. 1-32 1/11/06 10:50 am Page 9


10

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ELIMINATOR VESTOffers improved safety and technology by usinga water bladder that uniformly affects the wearer’s upper body while allowing the wearerto be completely mobile.

APF p. 1-32 11/21/06 8:38 AM Page 10

Many times high fire loadsencountered upon arrival quickly pre-clude the use of standard handlines foran initial attack. In these cases, themovement of water and the establish-ment of a solid, constant water supplybecome crucial. Fires requiring largequantities of water for suppression (ahigh critical application rate) will dictatethe water supply and delivery operationfrom the initial setup. If a fire hasburned past you on the fire curve, addi-tional handlines may provide no relief.The commitment to use high flowportable monitors and truck mountedmaster streams (500 – 2000gpm) alsocomes with the commitment to supply thenecessary water for continued opera-tion. Keeping in mind these additional

supply requirements, the use of portablemonitors or truck mounted masterstream devices can offer some of thefollowing benefits.■ Higher initial fire flows and increased

reach can offer improved firefighterprotection by keeping either interior orexterior operations in a more tenableatmosphere while providing higherknockdown potential.

■ In limited staffing situations, higherfire flows can safely be provided withminimal personnel. For flow-basedoperations, more GPM per person canbe delivered than with any combina-tion of handlines.

■ A single line put in place with aportable monitor can deliver flowsfrom 500 GPM up to 1250 GPM pro-viding a wide range of options to meetchanging fire ground conditions. Thenew lightweight features of portablemonitors offer fast deployment andthe ability to better utilize pumpcapacity and available water supplyduring initial attacks. Faster knock-down translates to an overall reductionin stress levels of attack personnel.

■ A single large blitz line can have asmuch effectiveness as up to 5 hand-lines with hose and necessary support.This can amount to a large savings intime and resources.■ Higher flow rates can translate to

increased reach and better penetra-tion than handlines.

■ These high flowing devices can sup-port a more effective allocation ofpersonnel resources on the fireground and provide a single enginecompany with more tactical versatility.

■ Portable monitors can provideunparalleled safety in Hazmat andvapor mitigation procedures, expo-sure protection, and high flowfoam applications with a self-educting master stream nozzle.

■ The “scale up” feature of a single linesupply followed with a second supplyline (either 21/2� or 3�) can be used forprimary initial attack or upgraded tosurround-and-drown defensive oper-ations as required by command.

Even with all of the noted benefits ofusing high flow portable or truck mount-ed devices, successful suppression strate-gies often fail due to some of thefollowing issues.■ Lack of training will always affect the

procedures used in proper deployment,placement, advancement and opera-tion of attack lines.

■ Though 3� lines are flexible andmobile, their flow rates are limited.The use of 5� supply will provide highflows, but restrict advancement of theline after flow has been initiated.

■ The idea is that these sorts of high flowsand the associated devices are eitherunnecessary or unwise. Typically, for mostcalls this is true, but for the small percent-age of fires that cause our largest dollarlosses, low flow handlines normally areproven ineffective as the move inevitablyis made towards defensive operations.

■ Higher flows translate to higher nozzlereactions and a much heavier stream,which sometimes can create unsafe oper-ations on the fire ground. Due to poortraining, when required, tie down strapsare infrequently used and the portablemonitor is often placed in service wellbelow the elevation safety stop pin.

■ Improper or inadequate training onthis type of attack can result in exten-sive water usage and potential collapsein the fire structure.

■ The choice of supply line to theportable monitor will, in some way,affect its use. Portable monitor usewill focus either on highest flows (upto 1250 GPM) through 5� LDH lines,or on maximum maneuverability (upto 500 GPM) through 3� lines.

■ The perception is that these lines andassociated streams are strictly fordefensive situations.

By initiating an aggressive attack utiliz-ing a pre-piped master stream device ora portable pre-connected monitor, youcan attack the fire using your total capa-bilities. As long as the device andstream is carefully and accuratelyplaced and personnel operating thedevices are mindful of the method ofattack being used, the results will typi-cally be successful. If, on the other hand,all components of your high flow initialattack were initiated properly and thefire still surpassed your ability to sup-press it, there was probably little elseyou could have done. Remember –

BIG FIRE = BIG WATER


11

For additional information contactArthur Cuenca

Vice President International SalesTask Force Tips, Inc.

2800 E. Evans AvenueValparaiso, IN 46383-6940 USA

[email protected] • www.tft.com

by ARTHUR CUENCA – Task Force Tips

Enquiries: www.awg-giengen.de

APF p. 1-32 1/11/06 10:55 am Page 11

Enquiries: www.pyrozone.com.au

APF p. 1-32 1/11/06 10:55 am Page 12

History shows there was the pre-Halon era when carbon dioxide(CO2) was the primary flooding

and streaming agent. Then with theintroduction of Halons, CO2 lost out tothat panacea of extinguishants. Now withhalons no longer acceptable for environ-mental reasons, CO2 is enjoying renewedrecognition and acceptance amongst theever-increasing plethora of gaseous tech-nologies and changing market needs.

From a fire/risk engineering stand-point, I consider CO2 to have the lowest‘prone to failure’ rating of all the presentoptions.

It is worth noting that investment inR&D of CO2 system technology continuestoday. Companies of the standing ofAnsul, Pyrozone, Kidde and Chemetronhave released enhancements to both lowpressure and high pressure programs,improvements that deliver measurablebenefits in areas of safety, remote moni-toring, (on-site) agent reinstatement andnozzle performance.

Whilst carbon dioxide is a GlobalWarming substance, as a fire extin-guishant it rates favourably from anenvironmental perspective compared tothe ‘manufactured’ alternatives, is clearly the most affordable and readily availableagent and, in my opinion, the most ‘pre-dictable and forgiving’ to apply.

Greatest resistance to its use stemsfrom a concern for personal safety as atextinguishing concentration levels. It canbe lethal!

Australian Standards, internationally

recognised as amongst the better codesavailable in this industry, conducted areview of the CO2 standard as part ofdeveloping a new suite of standards(AS4214), released in 1995, covering mostof the clean agents developed to fill thegap left by Halons. That review resultedin several new requirements for CO2including the introduction of ‘Lock Off’valves – effectively a fail-safe means ofpreventing or interrupting a dischargeinto any risk area. When combined withthe improved detection, control andalarm systems now available, CO2 can bedelivered with levels of safety to satisfymost special hazard requirements –

certainly for normally unoccupied riskswhere systems can be isolated for main-tenance and other purposes.

Another safety related issue that mustbe addressed from the outset is providingfor the removal of any CO2 left in the riskor adjacent areas after a discharge. Thisparticularly applies if there are base-ments, lift shafts or trenches where theheavier than air agent can accumulate todangerous levels. The combination of aportable CO2 ‘monitor’ and permanent orportable air handling equipment will usu-ally provide an effective solution.

It is interesting to note that by neverembracing Halons Germany has continuedto use CO2 protection for a wide range ofapplications, including occupied risks.Their philosophy is based on fire commu-nity acceptance of disciplined adherenceto – using only high quality ‘approved’equipment; specific system design criteria,including time delays; use of certifiedinstallers; training of personnel in evacua-tion procedures; commissioning of sys-tems before putting into use; andmaintenance programs based on qualityassured practise. There is no less concernin Germany for safety by OH&S under-writers or corporates – than in othercountries, but they appear more adept atmanaging the risks to acceptable levels.

The British also have a fine record withusing CO2 – reflected in Section 3.2 ofBS5306, which states – “the historicalevidence from over 100,000 CO2 systemsinstalled in the past 50 years shows thatCO2 can be used safely”.

Australia was the first nation toembark on Halon removal during the


13

10 tonne capacity, centralised bank of(low pressure) CO2 used to protect #12separate risks within an ElectronicsManufacturing Plant in Taiwan.

CO2 FIXED SYSTEMS– A RESILIENT,

VIABLE OPTION IN 2002

AS A PARTICIPATING MEMBER of both NFPA2001 and NFPA750Committees, I’ve been in close touch with the emerging new cleanagents and water mist systems – in fact have used most of thesetechnologies for our clients. However for someone who ‘cut theirteeth’ on CO2, it still gives me considerable satisfaction to see awell engineered CO2 fire suppression system brought on line.

CO2 FIXED SYSTEMS– A RESILIENT,

VIABLE OPTION IN 2002

By Doug PickersgillPrincipal of Fire & Safety Systems (FSS)

Continuous ‘fault’ monitoring, includingCO2 contents, when reported to the F.I.P.and beyond, improves reliability andnegates the need for regular surveillance.

APF p. 1-32 1/11/06 10:56 am Page 13

1990’s, resulting in only limited ‘essentialuse’ installations remaining today. Thisgovernment-inspired initiative gave riseto a sea change in risk evaluation andengineering solutions for special hazardapplications in particular.

Low pressure CO2 technology emergedas a viable option for replacing manyexisting Halon systems due to its poten-tial for re-using existing Halon 1301pipework. This feature can underwritesignificant cost savings by reducing oreven eliminating down time for what areby definition, fully operational facilities.

In Australia we saw this technologybeing widely used to replace Halons forpower generating and distributing utili-ties in particular to protect turbines,switch rooms, control rooms and similarelectrical risks in network substations.

With the trend away from protectingcomputers perse and toward mission crit-ical equipment in Internet serviceprovider, telecommunication and otherfacilities, the versatility of CO2 once againcomes into consideration. One Australianmanufacturer has pioneered the develop-ment of refrigerated mini-bulk storage ofCO2 in liquid form. This concept com-bines the best features of the larger bulktanks (refilling in-situ, partial-multipledischarges, lower pressure) with the bestaspects of traditional high pressure cylin-der based systems (modular design, offthe shelf packages, factory QA), resultingin a more user friendly format requiringless space and lower maintenance.

These more flexible systems are findingready acceptance in IT, semi conductorand other high-tech industrial applica-tions where large centralised storage sys-tems are providing protection for multiple,

decentralised risks up to 300m-400maway. No other gaseous technology offersthis level of flexibility and performance.

‘Thermal Shock’, once a concern withCO2, is not a threat to today’s electronicequipment, which has the ability to with-stand rapid temperature change and mostother environmental demands. Also,improvements in nozzle design havereduced potential for ‘dry ice’ formationduring a discharge through clever dis-persement characteristics that preventsublimation.

Carbon dioxide – ‘the original cleanagent’, can be discharged without creat-ing any expensive residual clean up prob-lems. This characteristic when combinedwith its affordability and efficient on-siterefilling, in the case of low pressure CO2equipment, allows the fire professional toconduct full scale commissioning tests.There is no substitute for a full-scalecommissioning test – which will confirm,or otherwise, the integrity of the entiresystem – i.e. detection, mechanical, elec-trical, pipework, and the interface withair handling equipment. I never cease tobe amazed at the number of systems thatfail a preliminary test, even after thor-ough preparation, leaving me in nodoubt as to the justification for recom-mending (to my clients and their under-writers) this ‘added’ expenditure!

Whilst ‘total flooding’ represents themajority of CO2 applications, ‘local appli-cations’, whereby the agent is trainedonto a given risk, is a highly effectivetechnique. This approach is widely usedin the automotive, printing and otherprocessing industries where stand-aloneitems of equipment or processes are not‘contained’ within walls to allow floodingtechniques to be adopted.

Given there is so much informationand knowledge available on the deliveryand extinguishing performance of CO2,an experienced fire professional canemploy this proven technology to obtaina variety of outcomes. We recentlyutilised the ‘Open Pit’ design guidelinescontained in NFPA12 to protect two‘simulators’ housed in a large trainingcentre – where pressurised hydraulic con-trol lines pose a risk of fire should onerupture and flail fluid onto high tempera-ture bearings. Through careful position-ing and direction of nozzles it waspossible to control the heavier than airagent to produce the desired design con-centration up to a predetermined height– i.e. a theoretical ceiling level!

In addition to the applications referredto so far, there are much other Class A, Bor C fires that can be addressed witheither automatic or manual protectionbased on CO2. These include coal silos,quench tanks, semiconductor wet benches,computer room sub-floors, commercial

fryers, spray booths, archives, MCCrooms, battery storage rooms, hose reelstations plus the traditional marineapplications, i.e. engine rooms, cargospaces and paint lockers. Add to this,inerting applications and you have a trulyversatile, proven extinguishant at yourdisposal.

Whilst presenting this commentary onthe viability of CO2 for today’s market,we cannot overlook the importance ofongoing and regular maintenance of thecompleted installation. My consultingpractice has invested heavily in the devel-opment of detailed maintenance pro-grams for our clients as, without suchprograms, we could not justify recom-mending their original investment in highquality products, commissioning testsand staff training.

We recently implemented a mainte-nance program for Porgera Mines in NewGuinea providing our client with dailymaintenance schedules complete withquestion an answer/confirmation sheetsfor operators and covering every aspect offire protection at this remote site. I’d liketo tell you more about this program,maybe in the next issue of APF!


14

CO2 protection has been recognisedthroughout the world by traditional (highpressure) cylinder based systems.

Doug Pickersgill was born in StGeorge, Queensland, Australia. Hisentire working life has been spent inthe fire protection industry starting asa cadet engineer with the WormaldGroup in Australia. During a careerspanning 40 years, he has lived andworked in Japan, USA, Mexico,Brazil and England where he wasinvolved at the ‘sharp end’, develop-ing innovative design philosophiesand technical solutions to protectunorthodox and special hazards.Continuous involvement with thePower Generating, Petroleum, Min-ing, Marine, Defence, Telecommuni-cation and Transport industries hasresulted in a unique understanding ofrisk management and loss preventionbest practice across these areas.Doug Pickersgill is credited withbeing one of only two non-US citi-zens invited to contribute to thedevelopment of NFPA2001, the mostwidely used standard covering theintroduction of new ‘clean agents’following the demise of Halon gases,and NFPA750, a standard dealingwith emerging ‘water mist system’technologies. Doug Pickersgill is the Principal ofFire & Safety Systems (FSS), an Aus-tralian consultancy that attractsclients who are owners of high valueand often unusual risks needing tobe protected against fire, a challengeFSS thrive on. (www.f-ss.com.au)

APF p. 1-32 1/11/06 10:56 am Page 14


15

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APF p. 1-32 11/21/06 8:38 AM Page 15


16

CUTTERS MARKET GUIDEBrand Name AMKUS Rescue Systems AMKUS Rescue SystemsTool Model AMK-25 Heavy Duty Cutter AMK-25E Speedway CutterOrigin USA USAMax. Working Pressure (bar) 724 724Blade Opening (mm) 127 203Cutting Performance: Round Bar(in mm, as per prEN 13204)Cutting Performance: Flat Bar(in mm, as per prEN 13204)prEN 13204 ClassificationWeight ready for use (kg) 13.7 15.4 Dimesions (mm) 521x229x193 597x229x193 Warranty 2 years 2 yearsNotes Capable of all automotive Features long blade and

cutting requirements wide opening for continuous cutting

HOLMATRO HOLMATRO HOLMATRO HOLMATROHMC 8U HCU 3011 BCU 3010 GP CU 3010 GPThe Netherlands The Netherlands The Netherlands The Netherlands720 720 720 72040 142 142 142

NA 24 24 24

NA 60x5 60x5 60x5NA AC116D-10,1 AC116D-14,4 AC116D-8,93 10.1 14.4 (Incl. battery) 8.9320x75 645x205x170 659x305x230 602x205x16818 months 18 months 18 months 18 months For very confined, difficult to Hand-operated hydraulic Battery-operated hydraulic General-purpose cutter, reach areas (pedals, steering cutter cutter for ultimate mobility: first-line response wheel) compact, lightweight,

cordless

Brand NameTool ModelOriginMax. Working Pressure (bar)Blade Opening (mm)Cutting Performance: Round Bar (in mm, as per prEN 13204)Cutting Performance: Flat Bar (in mm, as per prEN 13204)prEN 13204 ClassificationWeight ready for use (kg)Dimensions (mm)WarrantyNotes

BRAND NAME HOLMATRO HOLMATRO HOLMATRO HOLMATRO HOLMATRO HOLMATRO HOLMATROTool Model CU 3020 GP CU 3030 GP CU 3031+ CU 3035 GP CU 3035 NCT™ CU 3040 GP CU 3040 NCT™Origin The Netherlands The Netherlands The Netherlands The Netherlands The Netherlands The Netherlands The NetherlandsMax. Working Pressure (bar) 720 720 720 720 720 720 720 Blade Opening (mm) 147 180 306 237 144 281 180Cutting Performance: Round Bar28 28 26 32 32 25 35 25(in mm, as per prEN 13204)Cutting Performance: Flat Bar 80x8 80x12 110x12 110x12 80x8 110x15 80x8prEN 13204 Classification AC134E-11,7 BC159F-11,9 BC191H-14,5 CC202H-14,8 BC151E-15,2 CC221H-19 BC166E-19,3Weight ready for use (kg) 11.7 11.9 14.5 14.8 15.2 19 19.3Dimensions (mm) 668x210x180 690x210x180 740x230x180 752x205x180 700x230x187 784x261x185 718x261x191Warranty 18 months 18 months 18 months 18 months 18 months 18 months 18 months

General-purpose cutter, General purpose cutter, Straight blade cutter, General purpose cutter, Specially designed for General purpose cutter, Specially designed for medium accidents, medium accidents ideal for e.g. flat sheet heavy accidents cutting new hard vehicle heavy accidents cutting new hard vehicle ideal to enclose profiles metal constructions and constructions and

materials materials

Brand Name HURST HURST HURSTTool Model Challenge Cutter 200 Challenge Cutter 301 Challenge Cutter 330Origin USA USA USAMax. Working Pressure (bar) 350 350 350Blade Opening (mm) 125 140 221Cutting Performance: Round Bar(in mm, as per prEN 13204) dia. 28-30 dia. 30-32 dia. 30-32Cutting Performance: Flat Bar(in mm, as per prEN 13204) 80x10 120x10 110x10 & 100x15prEN 13204 Classification (Certification being prepared) LHC 100 F MHC 150 F MHC 150 HWeight ready for use (kg) 15.7 17.9 18.5Dimensions (mm) 690x279x185 732x279x185 755x279x185Warranty 2 years 2 years 2 yearsNotes (Max. 10 words) Blades pull Blades pull Equipped with

the material to the material to Top Grip the center of the center of bladesmotion motion


Brand NameTool ModelOriginMax. Working Pressure (bar)Blade Opening (mm)Cutting Performance: Round Bar (in mm, as per prEN 13204)Cutting Performance: Flat Bar (in mm, as per prEN 13204)prEN 13204 Classification(Certification being prepared)Weight ready for use (kg)Dimensions (mm)WarrantyNotes

HOLMATRO RESCUE EQUIPMENT cont.

HURST

AMKUS RESCUE SYSTEMS HOLMATRO RESCUE EQUIPMENT

APF p. 1-32 1/11/06 10:57 am Page 16


17

Brand Name LANCIER LANCIER LANCIER LANCIER LANCIERTool Model S 90 LS S 150 LHC 140-D MHC 180-D HHC 230-FOrigin LANCIER LANCIER LANCIER LANCIER LANCIERMax. Working Pressure (bar) 630 630/720 630 630/720 630/720Blade opening (mm) 105 150 140 180 230Cutting Performance: Round Bar (mm) 22 25 22 25 32Cutting Performance: Flat Bar (mm)Cutting Performance: kN 183 365 220 342 517prEN 13204 Classification no no D D FPower Source Hydraulic Hydraulic Hydraulic Hydraulic HydraulicWeigth ready for use (kg) 11.2 15.5 12 15.5 18Length (mm) 610 685 615 750 710Width (mm) 190 235 190 190 235Height (mm) 180 220 180 220 220Warrenty (years) 1 1 1 1 1

Brand Name LUKAS LUKAS LUKAS LUKAS LUKASTool Model LS 131 EN LS 200 EN LS 301 EN LS 330 EN LS 330 FIOrigin Germany Germany Germany Germany GermanyMax. Working Pressure (bar) 630 (+ 10 %) 630 (+ 10 %) 630 (+ 10 %) 630 (+ 10 %) 630 (+ 10 %)Blade Opening (mm) 140 125 150 225 225Cutting Performance: Round Bar(in mm, as per prEN 13204) dia. 24 dia. 28-30 dia. 30-32 dia. 30-32 dia. 30-32Cutting Performance: Flat Bar(in mm, as per prEN 13204) 60x5 80x10 120x10 110x10 & 100x15 110x10 & 100x15prEN 13204 Classification LHC 100 D LHC 100 F MHC 150 F MHC 150 H NAWeight ready for use (kg) 9.7 11.7 13.9 14.6 17.6Dimensions (mm) 563x171x145 663x190x163 705x190x160 726x211x163 733x210x195Warranty 2 years 2 years 2 years 2 years 2 yearsNotes Equipped with Blades pull Blades pull Equipped with Completely

LUKAS Top Grip the material to the material to LUKAS Top Grip current isolatedblades the center of the center of blades up to 1000V AC

motion motion resp. 1500V DC

BRAND NAME ZUMRO ZUMRO ZUMRO ZUMRO ZUMRO ZUMROTool Model ResQ 120 Cutter ResQ 160 Cutter ResQ 190 Cutter NT ResQ 241Cutter ResQ 260 Cutter NT Q-CutterOrigin The Netherlands The Netherlands The Netherlands The Netherlands The Netherlands The NetherlandsMax. Working Pressure (bar) 350 350 350 350 350 350 Blade Opening (mm) 114 165 195 240 265 60Cutting Performance: Round Bar(in mm, as per prEN 13204) 22 24 28 32 28 Cutting Performance: Flat Bar(in mm, as per prEN 13204) 40x5 80x8 110x10 120x12 110x10prEN 13204 Classification AC114C-13 BC 92E-9,5 BC 173H-13 CC203H18.5 CC227H-15 AC 60/A-7.4Power Source Maxi Power Unit Mini/Maxi Power Unit Mini/Maxi Power Unit Mini/Maxi Power Unit Mini/Maxi Power Unit Mini/Maxi Power UnitWeight ready for use (kg) 13.1 9.8 13.3 18.5 14.6 7.4 Dimensions (mm) 685x216x156 620x216x156 702x216x156 815x290x170 755x216x156 325x218x65 Warranty 2 years 2 years 2 years 2 years 2 yearsNotes Medium duty cutter with Ideal cutter and combi "The Best" Cutter for all jobs. World's strongest cutter Medium duty cutter; ideal

traditional curved blades tool by fitting detachable Ideal handling & excellent with a unique overlap of for impact free cutting & can for A and B Pillar cutters jaws. Small & Compact cutting performance the blades for continuous be used as a Combi-Tool by

for Confined Spaces cutting fitting detachable jaws

Brand NameTool ModelOriginMax. Working Pressure (bar)Blade Opening (mm)Cutting Performance: Round Bar (mm)Cutting Performance: Flat Bar (mm)Cutting Performance: kNprEN 13204 ClassificationPower SourceWeigth ready for use (kg)Length (mm)Width (mm)Height (mm)Warranty (years)

PETER LANCIER GMBH & CO. KG

Notes:All LANCIER Rescue Equipment Tools are equipped with patented twist grip safety control with an integrated overload valve (no oil is spread into the environment), rubber protective ring.They are well balanced and due to the practical second handle they can be used in any working position without changing the position of the handle. With a cutting force of 517kN (630bar working pressure) the hydraulic cutter type HHC 230-F is the strongest cutter in the market.

Brand NameTool ModelOriginMax. Working Pressure (bar)Blade Opening (mm)Cutting Performance: Round Bar (in mm, as per prEN 13204)Cutting Performance: Flat Bar(in mm, as per prEN 13204)prEN 13204 ClassificationPower SourceWeight ready for use (kg)Dimensions (mm)WarrantyNotes


LUKAS HYDRAULIK GmbH & Co. KG

ZUMRO RES Q

APF p. 1-32 1/11/06 10:57 am Page 17


18

Enquiries: www.lukas.de

LS 301 EN

Why are problems cutting modern cars not apoint of discussion for LUKAS?

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APF p. 1-32 1/11/06 10:58 am Page 18

To call the Hong Kong InternationalAirport an airport is a bit like calling theSiberian Tiger a Cat or the Grand Canyona Crater. It’s technically accurate, but fallswoefully short in capturing the project’sscale and grandeur.

Hong Kong airport authorities, theHong Kong Fire Service, and engineersworked hard to make sure that the 30million passengers who pass through theairport every year are safe.

Built on reclaimed land off the remoteLantau Island, the Hong Kong Interna-tional Airport (HKIA), which opened inJuly 1998, is a marvel in terms of both itsscale and the traffic it accommodates.Named Asia’s best airport by AsiaWeekmagazine, the HKIA cost close to $10 bil-lion ( US $20Billion for all core projectsof the new airport, including bridges andtunnels), and it took a full seven years toreclaim the land, design the structure,and build it. Today, the airport, whichcovers a sprawling 3,084 acres (1,248hectares), is one of the busiest interna-tional airports in the world. Every day, 63

carriers operate as many as 460 flights,transporting some 84,000 passengers and5,600 tons of cargo to 130 different des-tinations. In 1999 alone, the airport han-dled 2 million tons (1.8 metric tons) ofcargo and 30 million passengers.

According to Mr. Kam Tak Leung, theFire Standards Manager of the AirportAuthority Hong Kong, massive quantitiesof materials were used in the construc-tion of the passenger terminal and apron.The final count was 1.3 million cubicyards (1 million cubic metres) of con-crete; 653,975 cubic yards (500,000 cubicmetres) of flexible pavement; 110,233tons (100,000 metric tons) of reinforce-ment; 63,567 square yards (53,150square metres) of glass cladding; 1 mil-lion square yards (840,200 square metres)of ceiling and wall finishes; and 468,353square yards (391,602 square metres) offloor finishes, not to mention 3,107 miles(5,000 km) of low-voltage cables and 249miles (400 km) of piping. The terminalhas more than 100,000 light fittings,5,500 doors, 1.6 miles (2.5 km) of

moving walkways, 92 lifts and 68 eleva-tors, and 137,538 square yards (115,000square metres) of carpet.

Fire safety provisions in Hong Kongnormally follow the Code of Practice forMinimum Fire Service Installations andEquipment, a prescriptive code issued bythe Hong Kong Fire Services Departmentand the building authority. Performance-based design that provides equivalentprotection is permitted in cases where theprescriptive codes are impractical, says JoeKwok, the department’s chief fire officerfor protection, licensing, and control.

“The Hong Kong International Airportis the most prominent project in HongKong to adopt this design approach,”Kwok says. “Owing to the unique natureof the building, direct applications ofprescriptive codes are certainly not thebest means to address fire safety.”

Although the prescriptive code wasapplied to other facilities on the airportproperty, fire engineering design was usedto develop a safety strategy for the mas-sive passenger terminal and ground trans-portation centre. The design takesevacuation, compartmentation, fire sup-pression, and airport emergency manage-ment into consideration.

APPLYING INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS

Because Hong Kong is such a large inter-national city, it recognizes a number ofstandards and rules from around theglobe. As a former British colony, its codeincorporates many elements from theLoss Prevention Council rules and BritishStandards specifications.

Still, “we maintain an open mind, andit’s up to the design consultants todecide which approved standards they


19

Hub of the Far EastBy Shelly Reese

Hub of the Far East

Shelly Reese is a Cincinnati-based freelance writer and frequent contributor to NFPA Journal.This article is reprinted with permission from: NFPA Journal™ (Vol. 95, No.1) Copyright©2001, National Fire Protection Association, Quincy, MA. All rights reserved.

“Built on reclaimed land off theremote Lantau Island, the HongKong International Airport(HKIA), which opened in July1998, is a marvel in terms ofboth its scale and the traffic itaccommodates.”

APF p. 1-32 1/11/06 10:58 am Page 19

would like to adopt,”Kwok explains. Conse-quently, the airport’sfire protection planincorporates elementsfrom a number of stan-dards. For example, theairport relies on LossPrevention Council rulesfor automatic sprinklerinstallation, automaticfire detection systems,and automatic fireshutters. British stan-dards are used for themanual fire alarm sys-tem, the audio andvisual fire warning sys-tems, and the street firehydrant systems. TheBritish standards andEuropean codes areapplied to portable fire

extinguishers, and the Australian standard is the code for aspirat-ing smoke detection systems.

NFPA codes are also becoming widely used, particularly forfire service installations and equipment, such as water spraysystems, fixed dry chemical installations, and automatic totalflooding systems, Kwok says. NFPA 2001, Clean Agent FireExtinguishing Systems, was used to design the airport’s FM200system, which protects its plant and dangerous materials storagearea. Designers also used NFPA 130, Fixed Guide-Way Transitand Passenger Rail Systems, to design a fire protection system forthe automatic people-mover tunnel in the basement of the pas-senger terminal.

CABINS AND ISLANDS

While the protection system throughout the airport is compre-hensive, the protection inside the passenger terminal is a particu-larly intriguing system based on a “cabin and island” concept.Although the protected building is enormous, the strategy, devel-oped by a team from Ove Arup & Partners Ltd. led by PaulaBeever, Ph.D., and worked into a design by an the engineeringconsortium Mott Connell Ltd., is relatively simple.

The cabin and island strategy seeks to harmonize the fire-safetyplanning in the building with the normal use and flow of peopleand to invest the money spent on fire protection where it can do themost good. “In large buildings, slavishly following the prescriptivecodes is highly unlikely to achieve these aims,” Beever maintains.

The safety strategy, which was also applied at Stansted Airport


20

External view of Air Bridge.

Internal view of Air Bridge.

“The protection systemin the passengerterminal is equippedwith two addressablemaster indicator panelsand 30 addressable sub-indicator panels.” Enquiries: [email protected]

APF p. 1-32 1/11/06 10:58 am Page 20

in the United Kingdom and Kansai Airport in Japan, is based onthe premise that an airport’s large, open spaces are designed forthe efficient movement of people. In addition, relatively higherfire loads in an airport terminal are usually found in well-definedshopping and concession areas. As a result, the strategy takesadvantage of the open space by high ceilings where smokewould theoretically rise away from people in the general terminalarea and using sprinklers and other controls to concentrate pro-tection in high fire-load areas.

Sprinkler systems aren’t provided in HKIA’s general circulationand lounge areas in the passenger terminal. Because the ceilingsoars to 98 feet (30 metres) in some places, smoke from a poten-tial fire would rise away from building occupants, Beever says.What’s more, “sprinklering the high roof would provide very littlebenefit, as the sprinklers would be high above any fire and, as aresult, wouldn’t operate until the fire became quite large,” shesays. Such a delayed response would be unlikely since the fireload outside the retail areas is generally low.

“The island concept simply recognizes that the distancebetween areas of high fire load may be great enough to avoidthe risk of direct fire spread and preclude the need to separatethe large space with fire-resisting construction,” which would beincompatible with the building’s use, she says.

The airport’s 144 retail shops are sprinklered throughout theterminal in open “cabins” designed to keep smoke out of thelarger area and to prevent fire spread. “The cabin is designedwith a smoke reservoir at the ceiling to contain smoke by meansof curtains, which will automatically drop into place when need-ed,” Kwok says. “Sprinklers are fitted in the cabin to suppress afire at its incipient stage. Inside the smoke reservoir compart-ment, a smoke extraction system, actuated by smoke detectors, isalso installed to help disperse smoke generated from any fire inthe cabin. Through this approach, the spread of fire and smokecan be checked.”

Because the system’s effectiveness depends on the airport’suse, fire load, and other factors that could be altered over time, achartered fire safety engineer in the Fire Standards Office sees toit that the protection standards adhere to the original perfor-mance-based design on an ongoing basis. The airport’s fire engi-neering management team maintains the system, overseesalterations to it, and monitors any change of occupancy and fireload that might necessitate additional protection.

AN INTEGRATED SYSTEM

In addition to the automatic sprinklers, smoke reservoirs, detec-tors, and evacuation systems installed throughout the cabin areasof the passenger termi-nal, the various parts ofthe airport include ahost of protection sys-tems. Each of these sys-tems was selected basedon the fire load; poten-tial hazards, physicalspace, and protectedequipment in a givenarea. Collectively, KamTak Leung Fire Stan-dards Manager, says theintegrated systems rep-resent “one of thelargest fire protectionsystems in the world.”

The protection sys-tem in the passengerterminal is equippedwith two addressablemaster indicator panels


21

Fire Shutters in place at Airport.

Close-up of Fire Shutter. Enquiries: zumro.nl

APF p. 1-32 1/11/06 10:59 am Page 21

and 30 addressable sub-indicator panels.It includes more than 15,000 addressabledetectors, 1,200 break-glass units, 1,141alarm bells, and 4,500 addressable controland monitoring devices. Two mimicrepeater panels are also provided at thefiremen ’s access on level three.

The integrated system meets a fire-zoning design and evacuation strategy.The design works on the presumptionthat a fire in the passenger terminal orground transportation centre wouldaffect a limited number of fire zones, butnot the entire building. Thus, the passen-ger terminal is divided into 133 fire zonesthat can be evacuated individually. Uponactivation of an alarm, all interfaced firesystems in the pre-defined evacuationzone are actuated. The alarm also actu-ates the audio and visual fire warningsystem, which provides a pre-alert mes-sage for adjacent zones and releases theelectromagnetic locks on fire doors,allowing occupants to evacuate simulta-neously if they are worried. If the affect-ed zone is connected with other floors byan atrium, the zones immediately aboveand below it are also evacuated.

Four direct lines in the passengerterminal, one in the transportation cen-tre, and one on the automatic people-mover link the system to the Fire ServicesCommunication Centre. Two fire controlcentres serve the passenger terminal andthe transportation centre. A fire worksta-tion inside the airport operation controlcentre is staffed 24 hours a day to pro-vide round-the-clock surveillance of thebuilding’s fire protection system.

SPRINKLERS, PUMPS AND HYDRANTS

Automatic sprinklers are also installed inthe baggage hall, which includes thebaggage handling and secondary sorta-tion systems and the arriving baggagesystem in the 33-foot-(10-metre)-higharea above baggage claim. The passengerterminal includes two separate systems.One protects the processing terminal, thenorth concourse, the south concourse,and the east hall, and the other protectsthe central concourse, the southwestconcourse, the northwest concourse, andthe west hall. The two systems consist of154,345 sprinklers with 44 alarm valves, 3pre-action valves, and more than 124miles (200 kilometres) of pipe. A separatesystem protects the transportation centre.The systems use fast-response sprinklersand are designed to comply with the LossPrevention Council’s requirements for theOHIII (Special) risk category. This equatesto a system discharge of 0.122 gpm, persquare-foot (5-millimetre per minute)over 2,325 square feet (216 squaremetres), which lies between light hazardand ordinary hazard design criteria asspecified by NFPA 13, Installation ofSprinkler Systems.

Two sets of sprinkler pumps and ajockey pump are provided for each systemin the passenger terminal. The sprinklerpumps can provide 475 to 555 gallons(1,800 to 2,100 litres) per minute at 6 to7 bars and are powered by a 43-kW, 83-amp motor. The jockey pump can provide5 gallons (20 litres) per minute at 7.5 Barand is powered by a 1.5-kW, 3.3-amp

motor. Each system is also equipped witha 124 m2 suction tank.

The fire hydrant and hose-reel systemis designed in accordance with the Codeof Practice prescribed by the Hong KongFire Services Department. Hose reels arespaced a reachable distance within 98feet (30 metres), with the exception ofsome in the processing terminal that areextended up to 118 feet (36 metres)apart. There are fire hydrants for eachstaircase and at all gates. Two separatesystems are provided for the passengerterminal. One protects the processing ter-minal, the north concourse, the southconcourse, and the east hall. The secondprotects the central concourse, the south-west concourse, the northwest concourse,and the west hall. A third system protectsthe transportation centre.

The systems in the passenger terminalconsist of 590 hydrant outlets, 170 fireservice inlets, and 1,100 hose reels. Thereare two sets of fire pumps and a jockeypump for each system. The first system,powered by a 30-kW, 56-amp motor, hasa fire pump capacity of 357 gallons(1,350 litres) per minute at 50 Bar. Thejockey pump, powered by a 2.2-kW, 4.7-amp motor has a 10-gallon-per-minute(38-litre-per-minute) at 9 bar capacityoutput. The second system has the samecapacity but is powered by a 45-kW, 83-amp pump motor. Its jockey pumphas a 5-gallon-per-minute (20-litre-per-minute) capacity at 7.5 Bar and a 1.5-kW,3.3-amp motor. Each system is equippedwith a 387-square-foot (36-square-metre) suction tank.

The street fire hydrant system provideswater from an external source for firefighting along the perimetre of the build-ing. Hydrants are placed at 328-foot(100-metre) intervals. Designed in accor-dance with the local Code of Practice, thesystem is fed from the potable water sup-ply of a pressurized town main network.It consists of 58 pedestal street firehydrants, each of which has a 1,057-gallon-per-minute (4,000-litre-per-minute)output at a minimum running pressure of1.7 Bar.

SMOKE DETECTION AND EVACUATION

The roof of the passenger terminal isequipped with an aspirating smoke detec-tion system, in accordance with Aus-tralian Standards 1670 through 1986.The system consists of 122 detector pan-els and about 3,000 sampling ports.These sampling ports are spaced a maxi-mum of one every 1,076 square feet (100square metres). The system sets the lowalarm at 0.03 percent obscuration per 3feet (1 metre) and the high alarm at 0.06percent obscuration per 3 feet (1 metre).

A cold smoke purge system is designedto evacuate smoke from the building


22

“The fire hydrant and hose-reelsystem is designed in accordancewith the Code of Practiceprescribed by the Hong Kong Fire Services Department.”

Hub of the Far EastHub of the Far East

APF p. 1-32 1/11/06 10:59 am Page 22

after a fire has been extinguished and thetemperature of the space has fallen below154°F (68°C). The salvage system, whichis operated manually from a control panelinside the fire control centre, uses the airconditioning system to purge smoke fromthe cavernous arrival and departure areas,passenger lounges, and dining areas,excluding the kitchens. Because thebuilding is a glazed enclosure withoutwindow openings, the system allows for

smoke evacuation after a fire. Using out-side air, the system exhausts smoke at arate equal to the normal air conditioningsupply rate.

A hot smoke extraction system,designed in accordance with the localcode, is provided for all open cabins, thebaggage hall, the people-mover tunnel,and the airport express line platforms.The system works by containing smoke insmoke reservoirs, then evacuating thosereservoirs through extraction grills high ineach open cabin and replacing it withmake-up air through the open cabinfronts. The smoke reservoirs consist ofsmoke curtains around the perimetre ofeach cabin that drop when a fire isdetected. Ceiling voids also provide areservoir. All cabin ceilings provide a min-imum of 30 percent free area so thatsmoke can rise into the ceiling space.

SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS

In the 495,140-square-foot (46,000-square-metre) baggage hall, a 33-foot

(10-metre) ceiling creates an enormousspace that’s vertically zoned into twoprincipal areas. The baggage handlingand sorting systems and the arriving bag-gage systems are in the lower two-thirdsof the room. Above them are mechanicalservices related to the air conditioning ofthe processing terminal. Automatic sprin-klers protect the baggage hall, and a fireshutter keeps smoke from passing intoother parts of the building.

Designers used NFPA 130 in the auto-matic people-mover tunnel, where adriverless electric train transports passengers820 yards (750 metres) between the easthall and west hall. The standard holdsthat airflow should keep the temperatureof any smoke below 140°F (60°C). Tocomply with that standard, the airportrelies on a smoke extraction system witha velocity of 2.2 yards (2 metres) per sec-ond to clear smoke. Smoke extraction isalso provided for the people-mover plat-forms. Confining smoke within reservoirsprevents it from spreading into the openatria above platforms.

The passenger terminal also includessome 48 loading walkways, used to loadpassengers onto planes. Regarded as elec-trical and mechanical facilities ratherbuilding structures, the walkways aren’tfully glazed and aren’t under the jurisdic-tion of the building or the fire authori-ties, Leung says. The walkways consist oftwo sections, a fixed-linked walkway anda movable walkway. Floor-to-ceiling glass

panels are provided on one side of thefixed-linked walkway.

With the exception of the glass panels,which are prohibited under NFPA 415,Airport Terminal Buildings, Fuelling RampDrainage, and Loading Walkways, the fireprotection design of the loading walk-ways is in accordance with that standard.An addressable fire detection system isinstalled inside the loading walkways. Thefabric on the loading walkway canopy iscertified to meet NFPA 415, and theheating, ventilation, and air-conditioningsystem provides a positive-pressureatmosphere during passenger loading andunloading, allowing for the 5-minuteescape time NFPA 415 requires. Made ofnon-combustible materials, the loadingwalkways are equipped with metal stair-cases that serve as fire escapes from thepassenger terminal.

EMERGENCY OPERATION AND EVACUATION STRATEGIES

To contend with air emergencies, the Air-port Fire Contingent (AFC) is providedwith two airport fire stations, two searescue berths, and two boat-launchpoints within HKIA. The AFC is onlyresponsible for aviation accidents, andtheir vehicles, vessels, and facilities aren’tintended for structural protection.

For structural fires and other specialservices on the airport, the Hong KongFire Service Department provides two firestations. One is on the Chek Lap Kokplatform; the other is at Tung Chung,near the airport. Both stations canprovide fire-fighting services to the pas-senger terminal and the ground trans-portation centre within 6 minutes. TheChek Lap Kok fire station has 6 fireengines and 4 ambulances, and is staffedby 27 fire fighters. The Tung Chung sta-tion has 6 engines, 6 ambulances, and 34fire fighters. Despite all the advancedprotection devices in the airport, the FireServices Department hasn’t forgotten theimportance of old-fashioned drills. Bothstations have rehearsed contingency plansin the event of a fire in the terminal.


23

No one likes to contemplatethe possibility of an airport fire, andthe authorities of HKIA are no differ-ent. Still, by contemplating various firescenarios, the engineers, the Fire Ser-vices Department, and the airportauthority of Hong Kong have helpedensure that a fire will be a challengeaddressed appropriately by technologyand teamwork, rather than a potentialdisaster.

For further details please feel free to contact: Mr. Kam Tak Leung via e-mail: [email protected]

“Confining smoke withinreservoirs prevents it fromspreading into the open atriaabove platforms.”

APF p. 1-32 1/11/06 11:00 am Page 23


APF p. 1-32 1/11/06 11:00 am Page 24

Height rescue operations

CASE NO. 1On May 25, 1993, a man was left dan-gling from a snapped gondola eightstoreys up in the air after it tilted sud-denly. The only lifeline, which prevent-ed him from crashing straight to theground, was his safety line tied to thegondola. He was fortunately rescued bythe DART, which sent 2 rescuers rap-pelling down from the rooftop of the12-storey building. As horrifiedbystanders watched in cold panic, therappellers first secured the man withropes, then cut off his safety belt,

before cautiously pushing him into thebuilding through a window on the 7thstorey.

CASE NO. 2On April 4, 2000, the vertical boom ofan operating tower crane collapsedsuddenly and slammed onto the façadeof a 12-storey building (which wasunder construction). This crushed alarge portion of the scaffoldings, there-by seriously affecting the integrity ofthe whole scaffolding system. Theimpact of the boom hitting the build-ing also flung one worker off the plat-form on which he was working. Theimpact caused him to fall onto the

building’s safety net, where he becametrapped amongst a maze of brokenscaffoldings.

The DART made a quick assessmentof the situation before it staged arescue operation from the rooftop. The


25

Picture courtesy of Singapore CivilDefence Force

HHEEIIGGHHTT RREESSCCUUEE

A DART MEMBER’S MEMOIRSCRAPPING THE SKY OF SINGAPORE are many high-rise buildingswhere endless activities abound, both inside and out. While occupants goabout their busy routines to meet deadlines in the offices within, work of adifferent nature takes place outside. Whether at buildings which are beingconstructed, or have already been erected and occupied, many buildingmaintenance workers are required to work from gondolas suspended at greatheights, or climb scaffoldings many feet above the ground. When accidentsinvolving such cases occur, the consequences can be fatal. Hence men of theDisaster Assistance & Rescue Team (DART) of the Singapore Civil DefenceForce (SCDF) are specially trained to conduct height rescue operations to savethe victims of such incidents. DART consists of highly trained men tasked toaccomplish difficult and complicated rescue operations. Given below are 3real life examples when DART’s timely intervention managed to save workerstrapped in heights.

By Captain (CPT)Alan Toh,

Head USAR (UrbanSearch & Rescue)

Branch, CivilDefence Academy,

Singapore Civil Defence Force

APF p. 1-32 1/11/06 11:01 am Page 25

collapsed boom was first secured with afew 5-ton webbing slings to prevent itfrom collapsing further. When the res-cuers managed to get to the casualty,they immediately secured him to a tri-angular seat harness. With a wizzersaw, the rescuers then cut away thescaffoldings under which the casualtywas trapped. After this was done, therescuers freed him from the netting,before the victim was hoisted away bya cableway system. Unfortunately helater succumbed to his injuries at thehospital.

CASE NO. 3On July 27, 2001, a fire broke out onthe 23rd-storey of an uncompleted 26-storey commercial building. In amoment of panic, two constructionworkers attempted to flee from the fireby climbing out of the window. Theywere stuck dangerously at the ledge ofthe building when the ropes they wereusing got entangled at the 21st floor.Trapped outside the building nearly60m above ground, they franticallyyelled for help. Fortunately for them,help did arrive. SCDF firefighters onarrival swiftly extinguished the fire inthe building, while the DART sprangquickly to the aid of the two, trappedworkmen.

At the 21st storey, one DART teambroke a glass panel to create an open-ing from which rescuers could reachout to help one of the trapped work-men. Through this opening, the res-cuers were in fact was able to pull himback into the building. The 2nd work-man was out of reach for rescuers fromwithin the building. Hence an externalapproach to the workman was neces-sary. 2 rescuers rappelled from the roofto the side of the stranded workmanand safely helped him to re-enter the

building through an opening on the22nd storey.

Height rescue – a dangerous affair

Behind the seemingly easy rescue oper-ation in each of the above cases areactually many hours of hard trainingand practice. The DART reckons thatsuch high angle rescues are inevitablythe most dangerous endeavour amongall rescue efforts. Any fall from heightcan result in serious injury or death, forboth victims and rescuers alike. TheDART therefore strongly believes in

strict and dedicated training to sharpenits member’s instincts, judgment andskills. In addition, DART also inculcatesin its members a positive attitudetowards proper equipment care, main-tenance and usage. For when thecrunch comes, the integrity of each andevery single piece of the rescue equip-ment would matter. A frayed rope or afaulty karabiner can spell disaster if notspotted during maintenance.

Continuous learning and enhancement

Over the years, building characteristicshave changed tremendously. Forinstance, 10-storey buildings are nolonger regarded tall. In general, high-rise buildings are progressively pene-trating further into the skyline. Thismeans that high angle rescue tech-niques employed yesterday can soonbecome obsolete or irrelevant in today’sbuilt-up environment.

Thus, DART pays constant attentionto enhance its rescue capability. This isachieved through continuous learning ofnew skills and techniques, as well asacquisition of new equipment and newfacilities built, such as rescue towers,which can inject realism in training sim-ulation. Overseas courses have also beenidentified for rescuers to upgrade theirhigh angle rescue and rope rescue com-petencies. These are some of the manysteps taken to ensure that the DART canstay prepared for the next challenge.


26

Picture courtesy of Singapore Civil Defence Force

Picture courtesy of Singapore CivilDefence Force

HHEEIIGGHHTT RREESSCCUUEE

A DART MEMBER’S MEMOIR

APF p. 1-32 1/11/06 11:01 am Page 26

Training

Since 1999, DART members have been sent to the UK forcourses, which equip them with a higher level of personalproficiency in rope access techniques for high angle rescue.This is especially useful for complex and delicate situations,such as the case of a cable car accident, in which any carelessexertion of force can send the cable car crashing down to theground.

When the cable car is beyond the reach of an aerial plat-form ladder, or when the forceful “downwash” from the rotorblades of a helicopter may hamper a rescue operation, res-cuers may need to rely on less bulky machineries such as athe ‘Ram Pac’ Pneumatic Launcher. Operated by compressedair, set at 13.5 bar (maximum), it can launch a rescue line upto about 90m away. With this handy equipment, rescuers canset up rescue lines between buildings for height rescue opera-tions. Hooked onto these lines, rescuers can approach thestranded cable car, enter it and help rescue the victims one ata time. The victim may be too terrified to leave the cable car,but a skilful and experienced rescuer would be able to reas-sure him and swiftly strap him onto a safety harness and asafety line, which would be the passports to his ultimatesafety.


27

Picture courtesy of Singapore Civil Defence Force

DART pays constantattention to enhance itsrescue capability. This isachieved throughcontinuous learning ofnew skills and techniques,as well as acquisition ofnew equipment and newfacilities built Enquiries: www.climbingtechnology.com

APF p. 1-32 1/11/06 11:02 am Page 27

In 2000, a team of DART memberswas sent to Adelaide, Australia, toattend a Rope Rescue InstructorCourse. Over a period of 10 days, train-ers imparted skills and techniques tobuild rescue systems to stage team-based height rescue operations. Thecourse dwelled very much on the con-struction of various mechanical advan-tage pulley systems and understandingthe belay system. The course alsoemphasized heavily on the need to befamiliar with the rationale for the rangeof rescue procedures. The course wasvery beneficial. A number of the tech-niques learnt have been incorporatedinto the DART height rescue systems.

All knowledge and skills acquired

from overseas are consolidated andstudied comprehensively, for their rele-vancy and application in the local con-text and environment. Not every singlesystem imported from the overseascourses can be readily put into localuse immediately. They need to be care-fully modified and tested. Once adapted,a training programme would be devisedand the respective high angle equipmentand accessories needed for training andoperations would be procured.

Safety

SCDF takes high angle training veryseriously, including the safety of allrescuers. The philosophy has always

been for rescuers to “Be Safe And NotSorry.” Before the commencement ofany high angle training, all membersare required to take a safety pledge.This is to inculcate a sense of goodsafety attitude in rescuers before theyput their own lives at stake.

Rescuers are also required to ensurethat they are properly geared, and thatthorough inspection of all their equip-ment and accessories are carried out.After individuals checked their equip-ment, the ‘buddy system’ requires apair of rescuers to countercheck eachother’s equipment. This is followed by afinal check by the safety officer.

Anchoring points are also importantin height rescue training and opera-tions. The rescue system must alwaysincorporate a belay system or a belayline to offer 100% backup for the mainsystem or main line respectively. All crit-ical points in the system must be identi-fied and made known to the rescuerperforming the rescue for awareness.

Sharing Experience

No two rescue operations are exactlythe same. Immediately after each res-cue operation, an incident report wouldbe put up for administration and tofacilitate learning from experience. Theteam leader would conduct a sharingsession, which is useful to all, includingthose who did not take part in the par-ticular operation. This will ensure thatno same mistake would be repeatedand best practices are acknowledged.

Conclusion


28

Performing height rescue operationscan save lives, but the rescuers willpay a high price if they are not well prepared, trained, and geared.Consistent training and alwayslooking-out for new equipment andrescue ideas and methods, whichevolve with changing threats andenvironment, are thus crucial.

Other secrets to successful heightrescue missions include personalcommitment to safety proceduresand discipline of the highestdegree, backed by the passion tosave lives, all of which are the per-sonal mettle of all DART members.

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APF p. 1-32 11/21/06 8:45 AM Page 29

Currently, a group of standards-makers is trying to hammer outworldwide agreements on the

quality of protective clothing worn byfirefighters. The goal: one standard forevery nation. The struggle to developsuch a one-size-fits-all standard is Her-culean in nature. On some points,agreement is close. On others, there areas many differences as Medusa hadserpents.

Twenty-five nations are members ofthe International Standards Organiza-tion (ISO) Technical Committee on Pro-tective Clothing. Another 16 nationshave observer status. Basically, however,this is a tussle among three groups: ISO,the Committee on European Standard-ization (CEN), and U.S. standard devel-oping bodies, such as the National FireProtection Association (NFPA) and theAmerican Society for Testing and Mate-rials (ASTM).

Behind the standardization effort,which was largely a European effortuntil 1992, lies a quest for unfetteredtrade. The formation of a comprehensiveplan for the European Economic Com-munity in 1985 meant that minimumstandards for were needed for European

products as a basis for unrestricted tradebetween the member nations. To bolstertrade, CEN standards for protectiveclothing were, and continue to be,developed to replace the standards ofindividual European nations.

Because ISO didn’t have a protectiveclothing standard, CEN stepped into thebreech. To speed the process and avoidduplication of effort, CEN and ISO madea pact, known as the Vienna Agreement,in which they agreed to develop stan-dards jointly. The agreement basicallysays that if CEN takes the leads as astandard-maker, parallel ballots ofapproval will be taken in ISO. If ISOtakes the lead, parallel ballots are takenin CEN.

While this process serves to reducetrade barriers in Europe, it’s left theUnited States standards-developmentorganizations at a distinct disadvantage.Until recently, they were seldom con-sulted in the international standarddevelopment process.

“From my experience, whoever startswith the first draft of a standard hasmanagement control over the standarddevelopment,” observes Jeffrey Stull, thelead U.S. delegate to ISO, chairman ofan ISO technical advisory group on pro-tective clothing, and head of Interna-tional Personnel Protection, a consultingfirm in Austin, Texas.

Another mitigating factor is that eachnation in ISO has just one vote. TheUnited States may object to a draftstandard, but its objections can be easily

overruled by 15 European nations actingtogether.

Since 1992, the United States stan-dards organizations have worked dili-gently to influence the direction of theinternational clothing standard, withvarying degrees of success. One chal-lenge is that U.S. clothing norms areoften more rigorous than Europeannorms. Partly, that’s a reflection of whatmany consider a more aggressiveapproach to firefighting favored by U.S.firefighters.

“Europeans think our standards forfirefighting clothing are overkill. But wewon’t allow significantly lower levels ofprotection,” says Bruce Teele, NFPA’ssenior fire service safety specialist andits expert on clothing standards.

After years of disagreement, ISO hasreluctantly accepted a draft of ISO11613, a standard on firefighter cloth-ing, which at this writing was awaiting avote of approval. The compromisereached was essentially to provide two options. The first option, or ISO11613 Part A), is European Norm 469. The second choice, Part B, is basi-cally NFPA 1971, Protective Ensemblefor Structural Fire Fighting. Each hasseparate testing, performance, anddesign requirements.

“Fire departments can decide whichthey want to follow,” says DavidMatthews, the United Kingdom’snational health and safety officer forthe firefighters union and convener ofan ISO subcommittee on fire protective


30

Picture courtesy of Lion Apparel – AsiaPacific

NFPA and ISOStandards forFirefighter ClothingHOW MUCH PROTECTION DOES A FIREFIGHTER NEED? In a lifeor death situation, a firefighter has to know his or her own limitsand the limits of the equipment on which he or she is relying. Forhow many seconds will a suit protect a firefighter in a flashover?How resistant is a suit to certain chemicals? How tough do thosegloves or helmets or boots need to be? Will a coat made ofpolyester melt? Are the equipment tests reliable?

NFPA and ISOStandards forFirefighterClothing By David Scott

This article is reprinted from: NFPA Journalen Español (Vol. 2, No.2 SecondTrimester 2000) Copyright©2000, National Fire ProtectionAssociation, Quincy, MA. Allrights reserved.

APF p. 1-32 1/11/06 11:02 am Page 30

clothing. “Some British fire brigadesmay follow Part B and some U.S. firedepartments may follow Part A, if thereare no legal restrictions to prevent themfrom doing so.”

One of the differences between Part Aand Part B is that the European stan-dard has different levels of protectionbetween coats and pants.

“We’ve learned a lot from U.S. cloth-ing standards, but many of our fire-fighters aren’t willing to accept theweight of clothing used in America,”says Matthews. “With the materials wehave today, it doesn’t have to be asheavy. Heat stroke is a big issue forfirefighters.”

The expectation is that this draft is aninterim step. Eventually, it’s ISO’s hopethat one standard will be developed.

“There’s a lot of goodwill and goodwork going on,” enthuses Matthews.

The ISO draft also contains a provi-sion stating that when NFPA 1971 orEN469 is revised, the revisions will beautomatically adopted by ISO. NFPAprides itself on its state-of-the-art stan-dards, and, given the pace of progress todate, some are concerned that ISO maynot embrace the next revision of NFPA1971, due out in February 2000, rapidlyenough.

Finding middle ground on ISO 11613is only one of several challenges. Othercontentious ISO issues revolve aroundtesting methods and performance crite-ria. For example, clothing must meet aninsulation test for minimum protectionof a firefighter in emergencies. NFPA1971 has a minimum requirement of17.5 seconds without a burn injury.EN469 uses an equivalent test of only 9seconds. Similarly, when testing thethermal resistance of materials, the U.S.procedure is to put a piece in an ovenset at 260°C to see if the material meltsor ignites. The European test is done at180°C.

“We set our temperature higher tomake sure that the clothing doesn’t usepolyester or nylon because it melts atlower temperatures,” says Stull. “If afirefighter is exposed to a bad situation,we don’t want clothing to melt onto hisskin, making a burn injury worse.”

The two sides may be moving to acompromise temperature of around230°C.

Cost is also an issue, particularly forthe European Community. ISO arguesthat the more thermally stable clothingmaterials, which are typically moreexpensive, aren’t needed because Euro-pean firefighting tactics are less aggres-sive than those in the United States.Less aggressive firefighting means lessextensive personal protection. Andbecause the European Communityincludes a range of nations at differentstages of economic and technologicaldevelopment, European standards are

often prescribed within a range. U.S.standards, on the other hand, set mini-mum levels of protection.

Take the case of the ISO standardsbeing developed for gloves and wildlandfirefighter clothing, for example. Thetechnical committees were able to har-monize the testing procedures, butthey’re setting multiple levels of protec-tion. At the high end are NFPA stan-dards; at the low end are Europeanstandards. European standards groupssay that the range is necessary so thatpoorer nations can afford some degreeof protection.

Yet another source of contention istest mannequins. In most countries,protective clothing is tested by burning

of pieces of material to see how theyperform during a fire. But in the UnitedStates, Canada, Switzerland, and Eng-land, mannequins are used to evaluatehow a suit performs under extreme con-ditions as a system.

The test mannequin, first invented byDupont, is covered with heat sensors,suited up and then exposed to flamesand radiant heat to simulate flashover. Acomputer reads the sensors and providesa color picture predicting where andwhen an actual firefighter wearing thesuit would have sustained second- orthird-degree burns. Unfortunately, notall mannequins are created equal. Test-ing procedures and mannequin perfor-mance results need to be standardized.Another catch: Some of the ISO nationsthat don’t have mannequins argue thatthe mannequin tests aren’t as reliable oras useful as tests performed on scraps ofmaterial.

One of the driving forces behind theeffort to develop international norms isthe General Agreement on Tariffs and

Trade (GATT). Each nation that signs itagrees to work toward lowering barriersto trade, whether those barriers be tar-iffs on overseas goods or local standardsand testing procedures that effectivelyexclude foreign competition. The GATTstipulates that, when an internationalstandard is available, signatory countriesshould follow it. The World TradeOrganization (WTO), which overseesGATT, “is very keen to see ISO predomi-nate over regional standards in the longterm,” says Matthews.

But GATT doesn’t actually stipulatethat ISO is the international standard. Itcould be argued, and may one day betested in court, that NFPA standards arenot only U.S. standards, but that theyhave enough followers worldwide to beconsidered international standards and,as such, that they meet the GATT criteria.

In an ideal world, a universal standardwould make firefighters everywhere saferby raising the standards of poorercountries and making firefighter cloth-ing cheaper as economies of scale lowerproduction costs. If the end result of theISO effort to develop a universalstandard is to dilute or lower safetystandards in the United States and else-where, however, there will be continuedresistance.

“We’re unwilling to sacrifice our min-imum levels of protection to this effort,”says Stull.

Community attitudes play a roleFire departments the world over developstrategies and operating procedures thatreflect the nature of the fire hazard intheir communities, and the availableresources dictate their level of interven-tion. Where fire protection is a keyobjective, reflected in community plan-ning, regulations and building codes,and the use of automatic detection andsuppression systems, severe fires shouldbe the exception. Where a fire doesoccur, interior operations will probablybe conducted when it’s in the incipientstage, when danger to firefighters ismoderate to low. Well-managed, highlytrained, closely supervised, and properlystaffed fire departments will performeffectively to minimize economic lossand will provide proper risk manage-ment to enhance operational safety.

Building construction can be animportant factor in interior firefightingoperations. Fires in compartmentalizedstructures of fire-resistive constructioncan be expected to be confined to theareas of origin or within a buildingcompartment. When this happens, fire-fighters might allow the fire to burnitself out without direct firefightingintervention, restricting interior opera-tions to protecting internal exposuresand confining the fire to the involvedcompartment. These less-aggressive


31

Picture courtesy of Lenzing AG

APF p. 1-32 1/11/06 11:03 am Page 31

firefighting operations mean thatfirefighters are exposed to less hostilethermal environments.

In communities where firefightingwater supplies are weak, where buildingsare relatively small and well-spaced, orwhere the fire department isn’t well-organized, extensively trained, properlystaffed or supervised, or properlyequipped for interior firefighting opera-tions, exterior firefighting operationsmay be effective, provided the firedepartment isn’t expected to performinterior search and rescue functions.Such exterior operations don’t require ashigh a level of protective equipment asinterior operations do.

Where fire departments are expectedto perform interior search and rescueoperations and to minimize the eco-nomic loss by confining fires to thesmallest area possible, firefighters canbe expected to be exposed to hostilethermal environments. Protective cloth-ing for firefighters performing this typeof operation, which calls for an aggres-sive interior attack, should afford opti-mum protection.

In many fire departments, specificpersonnel are assigned to interior fire-fighting operations. Such departmentsshould provide the interior attack teamwith a higher level of protective clothingthan personnel assigned to other duties.Fire departments that require all fire-fighters to perform interior attack teamoperations at any incident or at anytime during an incident should equip allfirefighters with the higher level of pro-tective clothing.

A firefighter’s ability to judge heatbuild-up can depend on what he or sheis wearing. What a firefighter may feelin one garment may be entirely differentfrom what he or she feels while wearinganother, so no single measure of heat

build up can be applied to all protectivegarments. And it is not practical to relyon exposed body parts to indicate heatexposure, as human skin begins to burnat relatively low temperatures after ashort exposure.

Some people feel that the thermalinsulating properties of protective cloth-ing causes heat stress, which mayactually cause more injuries thanlighter-weight, but less protective, gar-ments. However, heat stress is not only aresult of the garments firefighters wear,but also — and equally — by a number ofother factors, including the firefighters’ages, physical condition, and metabo-lism, as well as the way in which theyare managed and monitored duringoperations. Lighter garments may wellhelp to reduce stress on the wearer, butthey should provide the protectionspecified by the standard. And the firedepartment must address the entirespectrum of heat stress and stress-related problems.

A guarded, sweating, hot plateapparatus is used to evaluate the“breathability” of protective clothingcomposites. The criterion of W/m2 ofheat transfer through the compositeprovides a value for comparing eachfabric composite. The following pointsshould be considered when evaluatingheat loss through garments:

1 Differences in protective clothingmaterials are likely to have an apprecia-ble effect on heat stress in mild andmoderate environments and at low andmoderate work levels.2 In the most stressful high tempera-tures or high work rates, materialchanges are unlikely to make any signif-icant improvements in tolerance time.3 Thermal insulation is needed if gar-ments are to protect firefighters fromthe hostile thermal environments. Gar-ments alone cannot keep a firefightercomfortably cool and provide adequatethermal insulation for interior structuralfirefighting operations.4 Means other than material specifica-tion should also be use to address heatstress.

When selecting protective equipment,fire departments must carefully reviewtheir needs and determine the appro-priate level of protection. Purchasespecifications should reflect these needsand specifically require compliance with the applicable standard. ISO DIS11613 should not be construed assetting levels of protection for all fire-fighting situations and conditions towhich structural firefighters may beexposed. Nothing should be construedas intending to limit or restrict anyjurisdiction or manufacturer from therequirements.


32

Picture courtesy of Lion Apparel

Considerations for EvaluatingStructural Firefighting Clothing

In understanding ISO DIS 11613, the ISOstandard for firefighting protective clothing,several considerations are important. Thestandard is presented in two parts. Part A isbased on the Central European Norms (CEN)document EN 469, while Part B is based onNFPA 1971, Standard on Protective Clothingfor Structural Fire Fighting. These two partsrepresent similar yet different approaches forstructural firefighting protective clothing,reflecting the fire experience and the fire-fighter death and injury histories of thecommunities that developed the two docu-ments on which they’re based. Both providefor firefighter protection, but each takes intoaccount the fact that different fire-groundfactors and different firefighting operationsexist in various parts of the world.However, one fact remains the same whereverfirefighting operations take place: Firefighterswho operate inside areas of a structure thatare involved in fire or in areas affected by heatand products of combustion are exposed to ahostile thermal environment. These conditionscan deteriorate rapidly when the volume of fireincreases; when fire gases ignite in the struc-ture, causing flame to roll along the ceilingand radiating high levels of heat; and whenflashover occurs, igniting all combustibles inthe area at once. Firefighters confronted withthese conditions will face the same exposure,regardless of the type of building constructionand general firefighting strategy – and nostructural firefighting protective equipmentcan give prolonged protection from suchhostile conditions. Certain injury, and quitepossibly death, will occur if firefighters do notquickly extricate themselves.The philosophy behind NFPA 1971 has been toprovide adequate protection from the hostilethermal environment firefighters normallyencounter during aggressive interior structuralfirefighting operations. This philosophy requiresthat both the protective coat and trousers, eachof which affords the same level of protection, beworn, along with the other protective items,including a helmet, protective hood, self-contained breathing apparatus, gloves, and boots. Of course, the length of time the protectiveclothing will afford protection varies, dependingon the severity of the exposure environment. Iffirefighters quickly “knock down” the fire, theenvironment should improve and temperaturesdecrease. If a quick “knock down” isn’t possible,the protective clothing may offer only a fewminutes’ protection before the heat the wearerfeels through the garments becomes too intense.This may not allow firefighters enough time tocomplete the interior primary search and removevictims, then withdraw for an exterior operationor to a less hostile environment until conditionschange. If conditions deteriorate rapidly duringinterior operations, there should be a short peri-od in which firefighters can leave the area beforetheir protective ensemble fails, making the inci-dent survivable for the firefighter, if not for theprotective garments. While the firefighter maysustain injuries, the level of protection garmentsthat comply with NFPA 1971 afford will allowhim or her to survive.

Bruce W. Teele is Senior Fire ServiceSafety Specialist in the Public FireProtection Division at NFPA.

APF p. 1-32 1/11/06 11:03 am Page 32

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APF p. 33-56 1/11/06 11:15 am Page 33

APF p. 33-56 1/11/06 11:15 am Page 34

The following will address some ofthe most pertinent differencesbetween the US standard, NFPA

1981 for fire-fighting breathing appa-ratus and European Standard EN 137for self-contained breathing apparatus.There are slight differences between thetwo standards in aspects such asbreathing machine rates used in theperformance tests but these will not bediscussed here, as the end result is verysimilar.

Although these standards are forsimilar types of equipment, used forthe same types of applications, thereare some significant differences thatreflect the origins of each standard.

It is also important to understandthe context within which the NFPA andEN standards were devised andenforced. The fire service in the UnitedStates is 70% volunteer / part-time incomparison to Europe’s predominantlyprofessional / part-time. European fireservices tend to operate regionally andbenefit from nationally regulated train-ing programmes and procedures. In theUS, fire departments are typicallyorganised on a local basis and typically

did not have nationally enforcedregulations with regard to operationalprocedures.

NFPA Standard is not Federalrequirement but insurance considera-tion. Fire fighting in the US is primarilydriven by Insurance requirements torestrict property and personal injuryclaims. In UK the primary purpose is tosafeguard life and as a second priorityto restrict damage. These twoapproaches mean that the US fire-fighter puts him or herself at greaterdanger to fight a fire, in many casesfrom within a building. The UKapproach is to fight the fire from theoutside and only go into a burningbuilding if life is threatened.

Consequently, historically, the equip-ment specifications for NFPA aredeliberately more stringent, in recogni-tion of the levels of training andcontrol, and the likelihood of encoun-tering extremely hazardous situationsbecause of the invasive methods offire-fighting used in America.

Furthermore, the concept of preven-tative and scheduled maintenance isless prevalent in the USA and has to be

accounted for in the equipment designand specification.

In short NFPA is a standard thatspecifies many features that are


35

Picture courtesy of Scott International


LIKE MOST PRODUCTS that are sold in a global market, Breath-ing Apparatus have to meet certain standards and are subject toapprovals. These standards and approvals vary from region toregion but the two most widely recognised are those from Europereferred to as European Norm (EN) standards and the National FireProtection Association (NFPA) standard as used in the US.

NFPA 19812002 Edition vs.EN 137Standards forSCBA Sets

NFPA 19812002 Edition vs.EN 137Standards forSCBA Sets

by Tony PickettSabre Breathing Apparatus

APF p. 33-56 1/11/06 11:15 am Page 35

compulsory on a BA set whilst EN stan-dards have less compulsory features butallow for additional features. If the BAsets have a particular feature then itmust meet the performance standardsthat are laid down.

This allows European fire brigades to chose and specify the features thatthey need to fit in with theiroperational requirements whereas anAmerican brigade will basically have totake a package containing everythingas standard.

In September 2002, the new revisionof NFPA 1981 comes into effect, whichintroduces some further requirementsfor SCBA not currently being consid-ered by the CEN committee. Howeverthe latest draft of the European Stan-dard for self-contained BA, EN 137 hasnow identified a new type 2 definitionfor SCBA used for fire fighting applica-tions. This new Type 2 classificationwill require a flame engulfment testsimilar to that required for the NFPA1981 specification. This standard is inthe formal comment stage and is likelyto be fully ratified late in 2002.

One of the fundamental differencesbetween the US and Europeanapprovals is the need in the US to satis-fy both an approval and certifying bodyi.e. NIOSH, who test to Federal regula-tion 42 CFR part 84 as well as obtain-ing additional qualification to theNFPA performance standard. NIOSHcertification is required as a pre-requi-site for NFPA approval. Looking at thenew En standard a broad brush couldbe applied saying that the Type 1apparatus tests are equivalent to Nioshapproved apparatus with the type 2sets being more equivalent to NFPA

sets. The CE regime is considerablylooser in comparison to satisfy therespective demands of the sixteen CENmember states.

Because of the NIOSH element ofthis process is it virtually precludes theapproval of a European or NFPA con-figuration SCBA to the other standardas in certain areas the two standardsare mutually exclusive. The bestexample of this is with regard to cylin-der connectors, valve and shells. Thesemust all be qualified to the necessaryUS or EN specifications, US sets forexample must use CGA 346 and CGA347 fittings for low and high pressurerespectively whilst European sets have to use a threaded fitting comply-ing with EN-144-2. The cylinder is an integral part of each individualNIOSH set approval and cylinders haveto be purchased from the set manu-facturer to maintain approval. It istherefore impossible to have aNIOSH/NFPA approved set that doesnot use and American cylinder andcylinder connection.

In order to highlight the principaldifferences between these two stan-dards, the following provides a briefexplanation of the actual requirementsfor each of the respective standards:

HEAT & FLAME RESISTANCEThere are two stages of heat and flametests within NFPA 1981 standard, Thereis a heat and flame test on materialused to secure the SCBA to the user

and a complete flame engulfment testof a complete operating SCBA, whereasthere is only one flame test currentlyrequired for EN 137.

EN137 is currently under revisionwith a new prEN137 undergoing for-mal comment. Within this new draft isa requirement for a complete flameengulfment test – similar to thatrequired under NFPA 1981.

The flame engulfment test hasreceived much publicity and debate oflate, but with these changes to theEuropean Standard, there will be nodiscernible differences in terms ofproduct performance in relation toflame resistance between NFPA and ENsets.

The material heat resistance test inNFPA is also critical in meeting thematerial selection criteria. Swatches ofthe harness materials are placed in anoven at 500oF for a short period oftime. The only materials that survivethis test are typically made from intrin-sically flame-retardant materials suchas aramid (Kevlar), Nomex or blends ofsimilar type of materials. The disadvan-tages with these 100% Kevlar materialsis that they are very expensive as wellas having lower resistance to wear andabrasion than polyamide materials

VISOR SCRATCH RESISTANCE TESTSAn additional test to meet the NFPA isa visor scratch resistance test where thevisor is abraded and has to meet mini-mum levels of optical clarity. The testbasically rubs wool felt polishing padacross the visor with a specifiedamount of force behind it, a specifiednumber of times before the visor istested by a machine to measure theamount of hazing.

The standard European EN 136 maskvisors do not have to meet this specifi-cation, although visors with an NFPAspecification can be fitted to the maskif required however this increases costto the customer, as the NFPA visor isconsiderably more expensive due to themore complex and expensive coatingprocess.

SECONDARY WARNING (EOSTI) DEVICESNFPA has a requirement for two low-pressure warning devices on each


36



APF p. 33-56 1/11/06 11:16 am Page 36


37


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APF p. 33-56 17/11/06 11:10 am Page 37

SCBA. These must be entirely indepen-dent in operation and each mustattract the attention of an independenthuman sense. Typical approaches tothis are providing a visual indicator onthe gauge, on the ADSU/PASS or in thefacemask as well as a whistle. With thecurrent operational procedures andcontrols generally employed within theUK and European markets, there is nodiscernible demand for such a device.

HEAD UP DISPLAYA new requirement that is being intro-duced into NFPA standards is the headup display; this must show cylindercontents in at least 4 equal incrementsfrom full to ? full, a Numeric displayalone is not acceptable. There are verystrict criteria about the light levels thatthis head up display must be visible in,from the equivalent of full sunlight tovery low light. This HUD could also ful-fil the requirement for the secondaryEOSTI above. There is no such require-ment in the European standards forthis although several manufacturers dooffer such a device as an option.

VIBRATION TESTSIn this test a BA set is contained withinan open topped metal box and shakenfor 3 hours at 250 hertz. This is incor-

porated to simulate a BA set being leftunsecured in a pick-up truck where itcould roll around for prolonged periodsof time between uses. This will meanthat many loose parts of the BA set willrequire additional protection possiblymaking the set bulkier and heavier. TheEuropean standards have no equivalentvibration test to this, the assumptionbeing that BA sets should be stored andsecured properly in the fire appliances.

RIC Connector (RapidIntervention Crew)This is a fast-fill connector by anothername. It will allow rapid charging of anSCBA while it is being used. This can beused for recharging a system or thedecanting of air between one SCBAuser and another. To do this, an appro-priate charging hose also has to be pro-vided. One charging connector isspecified which operates at 4500psi. Aresetting PRV is required on all units toensure that over charging is avoided.

In the European standard this typeof product is incorporated into anannex to the main standard so if it isfitted to an EN set then it must meetthe relevant performance specificationsbut it is not compulsory.

CONCLUSIONSWhilst comparing the two standardsand looking at sets meeting each stan-dard it is clear that most of the primarycomponents of the EN137 approvedapparatus i.e. facemask, demand valve,pressure reducer and whistle wouldpass the NFPA Standard and vice versa.Indeed manufacturers that operate inboth NFPA markets and EN marketsuse near identical primary componentson the versions of the sets they marketin these different areas.

The incorporation into EN137 of theflame engulfment test for type 2 setsalso mean that the materials used tofabricate the harnesses and backplatesare of equal flame retardancy to thosesets with the NFPA approval.

Because many manufacturers arenow global businesses they have acommitment to satisfy the needs of aglobal marketplace and keep abreast ofthe developments in all markets. Thisglobal market experience is put to bestadvantage in terms of providing single

product solutions that can address theneeds of multiple markets. This leads tothem developing common basic plat-forms, however, because of differingmarket structures and regulations, it isnecessary to make superficial configu-rational changes to product to satisfylocal market demands, whilst not com-promising the desire to achieve thehighest levels of performance. Thiscommon platform will therefore gener-ally meet or exceed the basic require-ments of most of the differentstandards throughout the world withthe major product differences comingfrom the market specific additions.

Both standards make sure that man-ufacturers are making sets that willwithstand higher temperatures than theperson wearing them can take, providemore air than a human could possiblybreath and will therefore provide thehighest level of performance to the firefighter. The different way in which thestandards approach the choices thatthey give the fire brigades will generallymean that an NFPA set can cost 3 to 5times as much as an EN set purelydown to the compulsory features thathave to be incorporated for this stan-dard to be granted. With economic pres-sure becoming a fact of life for both firebrigades and industry alike we may overtime see customers moving towards thelower cost option of the EN sets wherepresently both standards are accepted.

To complete the Jigsaw it is worthmentioning that work has just startedon an ISO standard for breathing appa-ratus, this has the aim of creating onestandard world-wide for BA with com-mittee members coming together fromEurope, Japan, the US and Australia.This will doubtlessly not be a quickprocess, it took many years for theEuropean countries to agree before wegot to the one EN standard, but in the-ory the best parts of each standardshould come together allowing manu-factures to produce one product thatwill be accepted world-wide.


38


Tony PickettProduct Manager –

Sabre Breathing Apparatus

Scott International

APF p. 33-56 1/11/06 11:16 am Page 38


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The method ofdecontaminationclearly depends on

the circumstances. Tech-niques for dealing withthe general public whohave come into contactwith a hazardous sub-stance will be differentto those used for decon-taminating personnelwearing full protectiveclothing. The location ofan incident, its severityand the numbers ofcasualties involved willalso influence the choice of equipment.

From a practical and cost point-of-view emergency services cannot carryevery type of equipment so a risk assess-ment of potential hazards within thesphere of operation will help in identifyingthe type of decontamination equipmentthat is likely to be most effective.

Decontamination of people willgenerally be the result of either a localincident, involving small numbers ofcasualties, or a major disaster, possiblycaused by an explosion or terrorist attackand involving large numbers of casual-ties. Both could involve varying levels ofcontamination. Some people may beable to decontaminate themselves byshowering while others, on stretchers,will need treatment by trained personnel.

Furthermore, decontamination can becarried out as a one, two or three stageprocess and within these there areoptions. On the two-stage process, forexample, the latest thinking suggeststhat cool water followed by warm wateris more beneficial for decontaminationof people. Initial decontamination withcool water soothes the affected area andreduces percutaneous absorption ofchemical through the skin. The use ofslightly warmer water in the secondstage is intended to reduce the shockand discomfort of the cool water.

The decontamination of personnelwearing protective clothing will varyaccording to the kind of work beingcarried out. Emergency services dealingwith a chemical or biological incident

will probably require dif-ferent procedures to themilitary involved in thesafe disposal of chemicalweapons. Furthermore,some experts are nowsuggesting that the useof warm water anddetergent can greatlyimprove efficiency whendecontaminating protec-tive clothing.

Often incidents andmajor disasters willinvolve both types ofdecontamination and

the common requirement for equipmentis speed of deployment. This needs to beachieved without compromising effec-tiveness, robustness and reliability – abalance that is foremost in the minds ofequipment designers.

One of the most popular and widely used decontamination units isthe inflatable shelter, which is the main product offered by many manu-facturers. An inflatable shelter isportable and can be inflated in less thanfive minutes making it particularly easyto deploy. Inflatable shelters are mainlyused for the decontamination of peoplewho have come into contact with haz-ardous substances. It is not primarilyintended for the decontamination ofemergency service personnel who need


40

Hughes Portaflex 300 Portable Decontamination Shower.

Morechoice fortargetedsolutionsby Tony Hughes, Managing Director,

Hughes Safety Showers Ltd

THE GROWING THREAT of terrorist action has added to the poten-tial hazards faced by emergency services that may be called uponto decontaminate the public as well as their own personnel. Biologi-cal, chemical and nuclear contamination is not new and methods ofdealing with incidents, whether they are the result of accidents ordeliberate action, are well practised. However, equipment and tech-niques are constantly evolving to keep pace with new threats andchanging conditions. Manufacturers now offer a wider choice ofequipment with individual products developed for specific applica-tions enabling them to deliver more effective treatment. Selecting themost appropriate equipment is therefore more important than ever.

APF p. 33-56 1/11/06 11:41 am Page 40

to decontaminate their protective clothing prior to its removal. An inflatable decontamination shelter can be used at the

scene of an incident or disaster to decontaminate the generalpublic before they get into an ambulance. This prevents themcontaminating the ambulance and making it unsafe to useuntil it too has been decontaminated. Another typical applica-tion for an inflatable shelter is outside the accident andemergency department of a hospital to protect against theintroduction of contaminants following an incident.

Although inflatable decontamination shelters from differentmanufacturers will vary, they all have a built-in sump to con-tain the washed off liquid. Then, depending on the contami-nant, the sump contents can be discharged into the main drainsystem or collected for further treatment and safe disposal.Some units have simple inflated frames with straight sides,some have more sophisticated frames with an increased num-ber of cross braces, and some have an arch design to cope withstrong winds which could be encountered in exposed loca-tions. All are fitted with some kind of shower unit. Most havefixed hand showers on long hoses, but some have removablehand showers, which can be easily replaced with brushes orshower nozzles.

Another, perhaps less common design feature, is a removablelining, which can have significant advantages. The inflatedframe usually accounts for two thirds of the total cost of theunit so the lining is relatively inexpensive. As this is the partthat takes all the wear and tear, especially in training sessions, itmakes economic sense to be able to replace it. Furthermore,when the unit has been used in a ‘real’ incident the contamina-tion is contained within the lining, which can be removed anddisposed of, usually by incineration at a high temperature.

Size is another consideration when specifying this type ofdecontamination unit. Some designs are small, accommodatingno more than two people when in use, others are larger notonly accepting more people but also offering greater flexibilityin the type of decontamination that can take place. Two andthree-stage decontamination is possible in larger units. Ideally,an inflatable decontamination shelter should be able to accom-modate stretchered casualties as well as walking casualties, andpreferably large enough to handle both at the same time.

Decontamination of the emergency services is somethingthat has been happening successfully for the past twenty years.The original wash-to-waste principle, where contaminants aredischarged directly into the main drainage system, is no longerenvironmentally acceptable in many situations. It has beenlargely superseded by the containment method where wash offcollected in a sump is collected and neutralised or treated forsafe disposal. Consequently, the majority of the emergency ser-vices now use a wash-to-waste Decontamination Shower with-in an inflated shelter. This allows for the containment of thewashed off contaminant, with the option of wash-to-waste incases of major disaster, where speed is of the essence and theenvironmental risk is regarded as negligible.

A recent innovation has been the highly portable self-contained type of decontamination unit. Its flexibility means


41

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APF p. 33-56 11/21/06 8:40 AM Page 41

that it is equally suitable for decontami-nating the general public as well as theemergency services. The unit is stored ina small portable box or bag that containsa sump with removable lining and fibre-glass grating. A simple fold-out frame isremoved from the box or bag and quicklyerected to form a shower cubicle, whichcan be fitted with different showerheadsdepending on the decontaminationaction required. The most common con-figuration would incorporate a showernozzle overhead, with optional waist levelspray nozzles and a hand shower orbrush on a flexible hose. An additionalshowerhead can be fitted to the showerframe at the same time, incorporating aventuri which feeds a separate showerrose with detergent, to greatly assist thedecontamination action.

A further advantage with these units

is that they are designed so that onlythe cubicle sheeting, sump lining andgrating get contaminated. These partsare all very easy to decontaminate andare cheap enough to incinerate. Severalunits can be placed end to end to forma mass decontamination unit with sepa-rate sections for each part of the decon-tamination process. Sumps can beinterconnected to ensure that contami-nant does not escape to the groundbelow. Furthermore on some models thesumps can be used on their own, with-out the shower or cubicle, as a tempo-rary storage area for damaged chemicaldrums or contaminated equipment.

For major incidents, there are a vari-ety of self-contained units offering awarm, protected environment for high-throughput treatment of walking andstretchered casualties. Trailer mounted

versions can be towed to an incidentand operational within minutes. Others,in the form of de-mountable pods, aredelivered to the point of use on theback of a truck. The units usually haveall the services on board – power, heatand light – and with the exception of awater supply are totally self-sufficient.Consequently, they are less dependenton the availability of local supplies andtherefore suitable for a wide range of sit-uations. Entry is usually at the rear withwalking and stretchered casualties usingseparate doors leading to their owntreatment areas. They then leave the unitthrough doors in the side ensuring thatcasualties go from the dirty area to theclean area without the risk of cross cont-amination. Some units are fitted withpull-out canopies to the sides providingpartial protection from the elements forcasualties awaiting collection by ambu-lance. As with an inflatable shelter, thistype of unit is ideally suited to thedecontamination of the public, but is notas well suited to the decontamination ofsuited emergency service personnel.


42

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©2001 Factory Mutual Insurance Company. Reprinted withpermission. All rights reserved.

This frequent threat can be devas-tating. During the past ten years,over 600 serious fires ignited by

hot work damaged or destroyed a widerange of businesses insured by FMGlobal. Collective cost mounted tomore than US$750 million in propertyloss and interrupted operations – an average of US$1.3 million per fire. Ironically, every loss was totallypreventable.

But preventing fires caused by hotwork jobs takes effort. Executive levelmanagers must enforce a solid loss pre-vention program that emphasises team-work and monitor workers closely. Thisarticle explains how to do that.

THE NATURE OF THE PROBLEM

Almost everything surrounding you canburn. As you can imagine, cutting,welding, brazing, grinding, sawing, sol-dering and use of open flames have thepotential to become uncontrolled igni-tion sources. Sparks and molten glob-ules often go flying or rolling long

distances and settle in areas you can’tsee like tops of high ledges, floor open-ings, vents or recessed wall or ceilingopenings. They can smoulder on ornear combustible material – like insula-tion, wood particles or flammable liq-uid vapours for hours unnoticed beforeigniting a blaze.

Cutting into a metal wall can ignitecombustible material inside the wall.Anything combustible on the other side– or close to it – can also catch firewith enough heat.

Hot work on vessels or tanks canignite fires and explosions fuelled byflammable deposits, vapours or gasesthat are often invisible unless the ves-sels or tanks are properly inerted andchecked beforehand.

Additionally, poorly maintained hotwork equipment – like hoses and con-nections leaking gas – can ignite fires.

OVERSIGHTS = LOSSES OR NEAR MISSES

Year after year, property losses causedby hot work occur due to the same

management oversights. These includeincomplete loss prevention proceduresdisregard for managements’ guidelinesfor protecting property, untrained per-sonnel or unsupervised contractors tak-ing shortcuts in the procedures andweak or out-of-date policies thatinspire complacent supervision at thework sites.

Loss studies show that many compa-nies experiencing losses neglected thesefour steps. Make sure your manage-ment program emphasises them:

1: SEEK AN ALTERNATIVE METHOD TO HOT WORK

Search for an equally effective way tojoin, trim, or sever without compromis-ing mechanical integrity. Alternatives tohot work include:

● Cutting with hand or electric saw orpipe cutter.

● Using a mechanical way to joinitems together with nuts and bolts,screwed fittings or couplings.

● Using hand filing instead of grind-ing.

● Installing threaded pipe instead ofwelded or soldered where local codespermit.

● Avoiding torches (Many types ofroof coverings Approved by FactoryMutual Research can be installedwithout torches.)


43

No Industry isSafe! Don’t GetBurned by Hot

WorkBy Mark Blank

Standards Engineer, FM Global©2001 Factory Mutual Insurance Company.

Reprinted with permission. All rights reserved.

YOUR BUSINESS HAS A STRONG CHANCE this year of experienc-ing a major fire from someone doing hot work or any operation pro-ducing flames, sparks or heat. The flame of a hot torch can reach upto 6000°F (3316°C). Combustible products ignite from hot work justabout anywhere – in offices, storage, manufacturing, even ships.

No Industry isSafe! Don’t GetBurned by Hot

Work

APF p. 33-56 1/11/06 11:43 am Page 43

2: PREPARE THE AREA PROPERLY

Within 35 feet (11m) of the hot work in all directions is a critical area thatmust be kept clear of all combustiblematerials.● Make sure construction in the work

area is non-combustible, includinginsulation.

● Shield combustible flooring with wetsand, fire retardant tarpaulins orsheet metal.

● Clean up the area, especially of oilydeposits and trash.

● Remove flammable liquids, dust, lint and oily deposits; purgeflammable liquids and vapours fromcontainers.

● Cover any storage or other com-bustibles that cannot be moved out.Block off any duct openings. Duct-work provides an easy path forsparks to travel to other areas of thefacility or to ignite deposits or lin-ings within the ductwork.

● Cover or fill any openings in exposedwalls, the floor and the ceiling withnon-combustible material or FactoryMutual Research-Approved fire-stopmaterial.

● Move combustibles awayfrom the other sides ofwalls being worked on.Clean dust and depositsoutside and inside enclo-sures and ducts.

● Provide a fire retardantcovering under the hotwork where hot work willoccur at a height. Exam-ples: on building framing,the ceiling or undersideof the roof.

● Close all doors and firedoors. First, check to besure there is no signifi-cant gap under the dooror along its sides. Sparkscan roll under a closeddoor and ignite com-bustible material outsidethe hot work area.

The alternative to the 35ft (11m) ruleis to designate an area only for hotwork. This assumes the item beingworked on can be moved into this area.Isolate the area from the rest of thefacility using non-combustible screensor partitions. Never let it become atemporary storage area.

3: MAKE SURE FIRE PROTECTION AND HOT WORK EQUIPMENT WORK PROPERLY

Hot work equipment must be in goodrepair and automatic fire sprinklers,manual fire protection (extinguishers,fire hoses, etc.) must be available, inservice and operating properly beforethe job starts. Note that the presenceof sprinkler protection means the areaeither contains or is constructed ofcombustible material. And that oneword – combustible – is a big reasonfor conducting hot work with greatcare. If automatic sprinklers are notinstalled in the building where hotwork is occurring, alert the local firebrigade that you will be doing hotwork. Appoint only trained personnelto use the portable fire protectionequipment.

4: TRAIN THE FIRE WATCH

● Advise the plant emergency responseteam and security personnel aboutthe hot work activity, including itslocation and personnel.

● Make sure the fire watch checksadjoining areas, including above andbelow the work area, especially whereopenings exist, and look out for fireduring the hot work operation.

● Train the fire watch in using fireprotection (extinguishers andcharged hose lines) and soundingthe fire alarm. They should bringportable fire extinguishers to imme-diate and surrounding areas, lay outfire hoses and charge them.

● Monitor the hot work area for atleast four hours after the job is fin-ished. Throughout the first hour, thefire watch continuously monitors thework site and adjacent areas. Theareas must then be checkedthroughout the next three hours byappropriate electronic surveillance oranother suitable option such as atrained alternate for the fire watchor a security guard.

HOW DOES YOUR HOT WORK PROGRAM STACK UP?

If your company does not have adetailed hot work policy, put one inwriting. Such a policy should clearlyexplain what your personnel should dobefore, during and after each hot workjob. For the policy to be a success, topcompany management must enforce it.

Then distribute the policy to allemployees (including contractors)involved with any part of the hot workprocess. Review and update the policyat least annually; otherwise changes inpersonnel or downsizing could keep theprogram from remaining effective.

To make sure your hot work policy iscomprehensive and effective, make sureit includes:

● A statement explaining the cor-porate intention to control hot work.

● Methods for communicating hotwork loss prevention procedures toall employees and contractors.Procedures that include:


44

©2001 Factory Mutual InsuranceCompany. Reprinted with permission. All rights reserved.

©2001 Factory Mutual InsuranceCompany. Reprinted with permission. All rights reserved.

©2001 Factory Mutual Insurance Company. Reprintedwith permission. All rights reserved.

APF p. 33-56 1/11/06 11:43 am Page 44

● A requirement to seek alternativemethods to hot work, particularlyduring the design phase of all newconstruction, repair and main-tenance projects.

● A process for evaluating the need forhot work.

● An assigned, named position tomanage the hot work program.

● An assigned, trained, authorised hotwork supervisor.

● Employee education and empower-ment to stop unsafe hot workoperations.

● Control and education of con-tractors.

● Formally stated consequences forviolating procedures.

Making sure hot work supervisors are:

● Knowledgeable in fire hazardspertaining to building contents,operations and facility construction.

● Fully trained in hot work lossprevention supervision.

● Available (or on call) 24 hours a day.● Contacted for all hot work (inside

and outside of facility buildings).● Authorised to stop all hot work.● Required to visit all sites before

approving hot work.● Required to personally complete a

hot work permit – an invaluable toolthat when used properly, tracks eachstep of a hot work job before, dur-ing and after; and it serves as aguide as well as a warning tag andrecord of job completed. This tag isconspicuously posted at the job site by the hot work supervisor.Under a permit system, the firesafetysupervisor authorises hot work con-ducted by employees or contractorsonly under specific fire-safe condi-tions. (Most facilities with goodrecords of preventing hot work firesuse permit systems. One largecompany issued over 27,000 hotwork permits in three years withoutexperiencing a single loss!) Organ-isations like the National Fire Pro-tection Association and insurers likeFM Global can provide you withmore information on hot workpermits.

HANDLING OUTSIDE CONTRACTORS

Loss control concerns are often over-looked when contractors are on the job,yet studies show contractors are aninherent risk, in part because they areless familiar with your facility than youare. While a contractor may have the

technical expertise to do hot work, theyare not likely to have a full understand-ing of loss prevention. Therefore, com-panies must monitor contractors asclosely as their own employees, if notmore so. In fact, an increasing numberof risk managers strive to control con-tractors’ activities from the momentthey start a project until the day theyleave:

The companies with the most suc-cessful hot work programs have con-tractors do two things before startingany job:

1 Sign a contract agreeing to faithful-ly follow the hot work policy andunderstand that the job will notproceed without one.

2 Demonstrate proficiency in thecompany’s hot work safety trainingprogram and ability to carry outprocedures.

It is also essential to:

● Make it clear to all contractors(employees too) that your policiesand regulations are to be followed,or they will face potential job termi-nation.

● Obtain references from customers ofthe contractors you are considering.

● Make sure bids and contracts stateyour policy clearly. (A few daysbefore they begin the job, informcontractors in writing of theirresponsibilities for following yourhot work policy.)

● Discuss the planned work with eachcontractor. Find out about the con-tractor’s expertise and concern forthe possible hazards, especially asthey relate to the building and work

environment where the hot work willbe conducted.

● Confirm that contractors have properinsurance.

● Avoid signing any hold-harmlessclause created by any contractor.

● Avoid waiving your company’ssubrogation rights.


45

Empower your employees andmake them accountable. Remem-ber, the hot work hazard is oftenhidden even to the most experi-enced workers and risk managers.Every worker has a part in seeingthat every precaution is followed nomatter how insignificant it seems.

Cutting a corner shreds the wholeeffort and creates opportunity foranother near miss or major loss.Property loss can amount to job loss.

The good news is – All hot workfires are preventable by knowing thehazards and following a detailed hotwork policy.

For additional information on hotwork loss prevention, visitwww.fmglobal.com

Mark Blank is a standards engi-neer with commercial and industrialproperty insurer FM Global. He hasbeen with the company for over 20years. Blank holds an A.A.S. in FireScience Technology from College ofDuPage, Glen Ellyn, IL, and a B.S.degree in Fire Science Servicesfrom Southern Illinois University,Carbondale, IL. His engineeringspecialities include hot work appli-cation in various industries, andarson investigation.

©2001 Factory Mutual Insurance Company. Reprinted with permission. All rights reserved.

APF p. 33-56 1/11/06 11:43 am Page 45

ANTICIPATION: Providing Fire fighters with effective per-sonal protection can no longer be left tochange or favoured choice. In all parts ofthe world Standards enforcement is becom-ing a more critically assessed issue. Europehas, as might be expected, an extremelystrict regime of Standards for the provisionof fire-fighter personal protective equip-ment (PPE). North America and beyond hassimilar guidance promoted by the NationalFire Protection Association International(NFPA). In both cases, the performance thatis required of fire-fighter PPE is high andleaves room for little grace in providinganything other than an effective solution.

That said; the European and North Ameri-can approaches differ in their determinationsas to the effective performance levelsrequired of items of PPE. In addition to theseinternationally recognised Standards, manyother countries, Australia and Japan forinstance, have their own national Standards,which either compliment or surmount thesebetter known approaches. The InternationalStandards Organisation (ISO) has for manyyears been working towards an international-ly recognised common Standard for all itemsof fire-fighter protective equipment. AsReaders would have noted in Issue 1 ~March 2002 in an article by Russell Shep-pard, ISO has formed a new sub committeeSC14 to deal with the coordination and inte-gration of all PPE performance requirementsfor environments and risks that are likely tobe experienced by Fire-fighters at work. ThisSub Committee is under the Secretariat andConvenor direction of Australia.

Fire-fighters are today better protectedthan they have ever been. This can only be ageneralised statement because no matterhow sophisticated we think the fire industryhas become, there will always be examples ofgraphic contradiction. Despite the Interna-tional and Regional progress that has beenmade with Standards there are still everydayexamples of fire-fighter protection beingfalling short of risk control expectations.

To be effective, fire-fighter personal pro-tective apparel must be an integrated system.That means; joined up, mutually supporting,performance matched etc. The word “inte-grated” is probably the phrase that is mostdemanding and yet is the one that is mostlyoverlooked. To provide a system of fire-fight-er protective clothing that is constructed to arecognised performance Standard by a rep-utable manufacturer, there are no cheap

options. The demands set for the Certifica-tion of such garments more or less disqualifythe rogue trader. However, there will alwaysbe those that claim compliance without everachieving it. Buyers beware!

EXPECTATION:As already referred to the costs of protect-ing Fire-fighters is high. The reality is thatthe cost of not protecting them is evenhigher. Because of the constructionrequirements of producing the mainassembly of fire-fighter clothing e.g.: coat& trouser, the importance of the peripher-als can be easily missed.

A peripheral in the protective clothingsense are those other items that are integralto the presence of an integrated system ofpersonal protection. The peripheral scopegoes as far back as the fundamentals ofincident command and control as the actualdetermining factor of hazard exposure. Tak-ing this relationship as a marking point, thebare ethos means the personal protection isnothing whatsoever to do with PPE but it’sall to do with the operational tactics forpersonnel engagement. Being that beforeeffective personal protection can be provid-ed, it is necessary in the first instance todetermine the degree of hazard the person-nel are going to be exposed to. That meansrisk assessment, risk awareness and beyondthat the big issue of risk management.

Taking all of this as a measure of back-ground understanding, the focus of thispaper will concentrate on what can beloosely regarded as the immediate periph-erals to the PPE systems that of the pro-tection of head, hands and feet.

SATISFACTION:There are three main features that interestFire-fighters as far as protective apparel isconcerned:

1 Does it fit?2 Is it comfortable?3 Does it do the job?

Beyond that there is precious little inter-est and no more should there be. Exceptperhaps one more point of interest: “Whatdoes it look like?”

When specifying employers should onlybe concerned with the performancerequirements that they need in their PPEto provide proper fire-fighter protection.Always the pressure of cost enters the

equation, which detracts from the idealsolution. It’s an everyday fact that com-promise has to be reached but this com-promise should never be at the expenses ofan essential performance requirement.

All too often worthy fire fighting gar-ments are rendered ineffective by thewearing of either gloves and/or boots thatdo not meet a performance standard thatis appropriate for the work of a fire-fight-er. Industrial standards of safety are allwell and good for industry, dependingupon a risk assessment of course, butmostly will not be appropriate for the fire-fighter. Safety boots that are waterproofare not fire fighting boots. Gloves thatwithstand some heat are not necessarilygloves adequate or indeed appropriate to aFire-fighters job. Heat protection needs tobe more than stylish or traditional. In somecases the traditions that have withstood thetest of time may well be the best and wherethis is shown to be the case the Standardwill reflect that. Head protection for thefire-fighter needs to fit, stay on whenengaged at work and above all be comfort-able. Mostly any comment or observationthat can be made about one item or anoth-er can relate equally to the others.

Related values + Relatedperformance = Integrated system.

FIT FOR PURPOSE:There are many excellent products for Fire-fighters to choose from. They will all do ajob to one degree or another and they allhave their own design characteristics andperformance levels. Some may be copies ofothers and so on but that doesn’t necessarilymake them bad or deficient. They may be indifferent colours and shapes with a wholehost of performance claims which may ormay not have any substance or validity. Themaze for the employer is to manoeuvrethrough this bog of complications and endup with the right product with the rightperformance that has a proven record andrepresents best value. Not difficult – all youneed to be is an expert in five or six differ-ent industries as well as being able to dis-seminate and distinguish between the moraland legal issues of Standards!

Some manufacturers/suppliers assume aresponsibility for the presentation andassurance of performance based compliantintegrated solutions to the fire-fighter.That simply means quality and reliability!


46

Beware of theQuick Fix! by Steve Tyrrell

Managing Director, Fire Factors International Ltd

APF p. 33-56 1/11/06 11:44 am Page 46

As something of a case study, LionApparel – Asia Pacific is part of the LionApparel group and are on a global scalethe largest producers and suppliers of fire-fighter PPE. It’s important for any com-pany but particularly one that has aworldwide reputation to support, to beassociated with both quality and reliability.The product Lion produce themselves is acontained quality performance issue andreally straightforward to control. The riskexposure for any provider, particularly oneof global dimension, is the productbrought in to the integrated approach thatLion offers to their customers. Simply put,a company such as Lion Apparel cannotafford to be associated with anythingother than the absolute best. Anything lesswould not only present a greater com-mercial risk but more damaging still areputation risk.

Appreciating this kind of commercialscrutiny, organisations can benefit from hav-ing to undertake their own torturous processof deliberation, evaluation and decision.What should be the way is for the organisa-tion concerned to determine performanceneeds and specify accordingly. There is noneed to become absorbed in the endlessdilemma of product decision or moreover,indecisions. Lion’s solution is based upon:

Highest product quality + Highestproduct performance = Lowest risk

Fire-fighter boots for example; these aresupplied by the Haix® company located inMainburg, Germany, which is some 25km

from Munich. They are a specialistfootwear manufacturer that only produceproduct for special need users such as;Fire-fighters, police, special military andhigh demand specialised industrial applica-tions. Haix is not a fashion producer, theyare recognised worldwide as being at thevery top of the first division for high quali-ty footwear. They only make special bootsfor special people who have special needs.As can be seen from the examples shown,there are a number of different styles, allcertified for fire fighting use. The opera-tional demand for each style is differentdepending how they integrate with thedesign of the lower body clothing protec-tion as well as the risk assessed task expec-tations of the fire-fighter. It isn’t easy todo the job properly!

In a similar way, the Seiz® glove hasbeen brought into the Lion Apparel pro-gramme. Again, the assurance is based onquality product from a world-class manu-facturer. Seiz is also a German based com-pany who produce in excess of 20 millionpairs of gloves each year. They have prod-uct throughout the expected range ofindustrial uses as well as special productfor fire, police and military applications.

Any quality manufacturer will be able tooffer a range of performance and styleoptions if asked to do so. Some will be aone trick pony of course but any conclu-sion about their lack of options shouldn’tnecessarily detract from the quality assess-ment made of the product. Make sure anyproduct that is selected has valid testcertification!


47

Haix Boots – Courtesy of Lion Apparel.

Haix Boots – Courtesy of Lion Apparel.

Enquiries: www.gallet.fr

Head protection system F1

[A New Generation of Firefighter Helmets]

at

el

GALLET SA • B.P.90 • F-01400 Chatillon Sur Chalaronne • Tel: +33 [474] 55 01 55 • Fax: + 33 [474] 55 24 80 • [email protected] • www.gallet.fr

Head protection has a new name:

RATCHET SYSTEMQuick adjustement and high comfort

LAMP XP

APF p. 33-56 1/11/06 11:44 am Page 47

RESPONSIBILITY:Regardless of who the actual supplier ormanufacture is, the objective of the caseexample that has been reviewed; is theemphasis that should be placed upon premi-um solutions in securing assured levels offire-fighter personal protection. An integratedoutcome can only come about if there is anequally integrated process of determinationin place. All too often levels of protection arethought about and evaluated in isolation toone another. This is not only unwise but canalso detract from the principle objective ofprotecting the fire-fighter at work.

Where reputations are at stake and acontract can be won or lost on the back ofthe feedback about a company’s existingmarket performances, there really is verylittle scope for a second chance if

Fire-fighters have been let down with thequality and performance of the productsupplied to them. In the aftermath of fail-ure there is no place for either excuse or thewisdom of hindsight; in risk managementterms you have just gone off the scale!

Personal protection will always be a criticalissue no matter what particular workplace or,the environment in which it is placed. Theprotection of Fire-fighters in their riskdynamic workplace environments is evenmore critical. It’s the risk business and expo-sure to hazard is the hazard Fire-fighters faceevery time they go to work. It simply isn’tgood enough anymore to just provide someform of perceived protective clothing; a setof overalls, a pair of rubber boots, somework-wear gloves and a hard hat that proba-bly doesn’t even fit more or less actuallyoffer any real protection to the wearer.

The assessment of a Fire-fighters functionis a matter of international record. The Inter-national Standards Organisation (ISO) has andstill is devising Standards to ensure that Fire-fighters have PPE that is both appropriateand properly protected in their chosen work-place environments. There can no longer beshortcuts or half way solutions just to savesome money. Firefighters not only deserve thebest, the society they protect demand it!

RESOLUTION:A system of integrated personal protectiveapparel that is, without question, assuredas being “Fit for Purpose”.


48

Steve Tyrrell has over 35 years experi-ence in the Fire Engineering sector thathas seen him reach Principal Level Com-mand in the London Fire Brigade. Hisprofessional involvements include being aMember of the Institute of Risk Manage-ment, a Member of the International Insti-tute of Risk & Safety Management and aFellow of the Institution of Fire Engineers.Steve also Represents the UK on Euro-pean (CEN) and International StandardsOrganisation (ISO) Committees in respectof Fire-fighter Protective Apparel. He iscurrently the Managing Director of FireFactors International Ltd, a ConsultingCompany that specialises in all aspects ofthe protective clothing industry.

Seiz Gloves – Courtesy of Lion Apparel.

Seiz Gloves – Courtesy of Lion Apparel.


If technological evolution is the naturalproduct of progress, never was thistheory truer than with the latestinnovation from Cairns – therevolutionary CairnsVIPER™.

It’s simply the most versatile hand heldunit in the Fire Service. The slim, light-weight body provides easy gripping withone hand or two and allows the unit tobe held close to the chest during use.The fact is, the CairnsVIPER™ can beused in practically any situation, underany conditions.

Don’t settle for a hand-held ThermalImager that’s behind the times. See foryourself how far Thermal Imaging hasevolved.

Infratherm Pty LtdPO Box 117

North RichmondNSW 2754 Australia

Tel: +61 2 45 797 334 +61 2 43 222 100

Fax: +61 2 45 796 333 +61 2 43 237 439

E-mail: [email protected]

The exclusive CairnsVIPER™ 180° RotatingDisplay improves situation awareness, distancejudgement, navigation and firefighter safety.

LAYING DOWN CRAWLING KNEELING AROUND STRAIGHT OVERHEADCORNERS AHEAD

APF p. 33-56 1/11/06 11:44 am Page 48

In the late 1970s a UK government’sCentral Fire Brigade Advisory Councilreported on assisting the vision of

firemen in smoke. The report examinedtechnologies that could help with theage-old problem of locating casualtiesand the seats of fires in thick smoke. Thereport correctly identified that longwavelength infrared radiation was almostunaffected by all classes of smoke. It wasfound that a suitable thermal imagerwould be able to “see through” smoke –almost as if it wasn’t there.

An ideal solution on the surface. Inreality however, thermal imaging hadbeen around for a considerable amountof time – but most of the systems usedhad been designed for the military. Thismeant that they were designed to befixed to vehicles, aircrafts and ships andutilised detectors that had to be cooleddown to very low temperatures in orderfor them to work properly – that, andthey were horrendously expensive!

Luckily, a solution was in hand! Thevacuum tube called “pyro-electric vidi-con” (Pevicon, trade marked by MarconiApplied Technologies, then EEV) wasoriginally designed for military applica-tions. However, the technology had neverreached the performance needed for amilitary system, but was both relativelycheap to produce and most importantlydid not require cooling to operate.

At the time of the report, a handful ofPevicons™ were being produced per year

and being sold to academic and researchbodies – an interesting technology insearch of real market applications.

In the early 1980s, Applied Technolo-gies developed a camera system basedon the Pevicon™, which they successfullytrailed in conjunction with a small num-ber of UK fire brigades. However, thecamera was still seen as something of anovelty, rather than the essential fire-fighting tool it was set to become.

SO WHAT CHANGED?

The UK became involved in the Falk-lands conflict.

Images of Royal Navy ships withthick smoke billowing from them wereseen around the globe. This smokeimpeded the efforts of fire and rescueteams on board – and there is perhapsnothing so frightening as the prospectof a shipboard fire (unless perhaps an

aircraft fire). Civilians and fire crewsalike know there is little opportunity ofescape, or the likelihood that the firewill burn itself out. Multiple sealedcompartments can fill with smoke,hampering navigation through the shipand making the location of the seat ofthe fire a slow and time consumingprocess – time that isn’t available.

It was this urgent operationalrequirement that lead the Royal Navy todeploy the first cameras into shipboarduse and they rapidly became an invalu-able tool, helping to reduce losses dueto fire both in peacetime and battle sit-uations. Many of the other Europeanand Commonwealth Navies rapidly fol-lowed suit and late in the 1980’s – afterserious damage was sustained by theUSS Stark in a Gulf incident – the USnavy and coastguard made the Pevi-con™ based camera standard damagecontrol equipment throughout thewhole fleet. At last thermal imaging hadstarted to become standard equipmentin fire and rescue stations – at least formilitary applications.

Although the Pevicon™ program hadoriginally been started to address needsin the civilian fire-fighting market, itwas not until the early 1990’s and the


49

Argus2 thermal imager with wireless video link unit.

The History andEvolution

of Thermal Imaging used in

Fire-Fighting Twenty years ago a new technologywas made available to firefighters.Thermal Imaging had previouslybeen the preserve of high-endmilitary programs – expensive, heavyand inflexible – it clearly had afuture, but could it be harnessed tohave an impact on everyday life. Twodecades on, the advantages are nowwell documented with the count ofpeople and property saved aroundthe world steadily rising but, how didthis technology develop and where isit likely to lead? Read on.

The History andEvolution

of Thermal Imaging used in

Fire-Fighting by Colin Buggeln,Veronique Probyn

and Phil Colley

APF p. 33-56 1/11/06 11:45 am Page 49

saturation of the military shipboardmarket that major manufacturers onceagain turned their attention to thismarket. It became evident that whilethe military could easily justify theexpense of a thermal imaging camera –setting this off against losses caused byfire – finding the funds to buy wouldprove more difficult for most of theworld’s civilian brigades.

WHERE TO?

The solution was a cheaper camera.Applied Technologies launched theirArgus camera specifically designed forcivilian usage at 70% of the price ofthe cameras supplied to the militarymarket. The camera was of equal per-formance to the military units and stillbased on the Pevicon technology. Itwas, however, from the outset designedfor volume manufacture and fastassembly, enabling substantial costsavings to be passed on to end-users.

TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT

The next major milestone in the evolu-tion of fire-fighting cameras happenedin the mid 1990s with the commercialavailability of a new range of solid-state detectors manufactured byRaytheon Corp. in the United States.These detectors were the result of manyyears and billions of dollars worth ofinvestment, principally by the US gov-ernment, aimed at producing lower

cost and more flexible thermal imagingsystems for military use. Although dri-ven by military needs, most of theseprogram were funded on the “dual use”principle, meaning that usage for thedetectors was envisaged both for militaryand civilian fire-fighting applications.

These new detectors are still in usetoday, and are called Focal Plane Arrays(FPAs). They take the form of a flatdevice placed behind the camera lens atthe focal point. Unlike previous vacuumtechnology, these sensors have a dis-crete number of picture elements(pixels) – with the most commonarrangement being 320x240. This for-mat gives a total of 76,800 pixels,enabling the device to output a farclearer picture than was previously pos-sible. It is noteworthy however that thisis a long way away from the latestoptical devices used in normal cameras,where 1,000,000 and 2,000,000 pixelsensors are common.

The availability of the new detectorbreed opened the market to competi-

tion, and today cameras for fire-fight-ing purposes are manufactured andoffered by at least 10 different compa-nies, principally from the UK and US.

Increased competition and volumeshave also meant that the price of cam-eras has fallen dramatically in realterms over the last 10 years. This hasresulted in the ever-increasing use ofthe technology worldwide. In addition,better images are commonplace andimprovements in electronics allow man-ufacturers to offer many additionalfeatures, enabling the camera to be amore flexible and useful tool. Today,remote video transmission, temperaturemeasurement and digital zoom arecommon offerings.

BUT WHAT OF THE FUTURE?

As with consumer electronics, the paceof development in fire-fighting thermalimaging cameras seems to get fasterand faster. The current annual sales offire-fighting cameras total around5000-8000 units – the sort of unitsthat a manufacturer of consumer elec-tronics might expect in one day – butdespite this modest figure, the world-wide application of thermal imagingacross multiple uses is expanding rapid-ly. The latest development is the use ofcameras in the automotive market(Cadillac are offering a system pro-duced by the US company RaytheonCorp). The overall market expansion isfunding even more exciting detectordevelopments, and will help to forcedown the cost of the devices over thenext few years, as volumes increase.

By the end of this decade there is avery real possibility of fire fightingcameras being readily available for justa few thousand dollars. These newcameras could be small and lightenough to be integrated into the firefighters breathing apparatus. With thisfully integrated system available to allfire-fighters wearing breathing appara-tus, thermal imaging will have fullyrealised its potential – enabling smoketo become as normal as daylight vision.


50

The Argus1 thermal imaging camera.

The P4228 fire-fighters thermal imagingcamera by EEV (now Marconi AppliedTechnologies) and a Pevicon sensor.

Whilst fire-fighting will alwaysremain a difficult and dangerous jobit is clear that thermal imaging isprobably the most significant devel-opment in fire-fighter safety since theintroduction of breathing apparatus.

APF p. 33-56 1/11/06 11:45 am Page 50


51

Predicting water transit times for firesprinkler systems controlled by con-ventional differential dry pipe valves

has long been the nemesis of the designtechnician. Section 4-2.3.1 of the 1999edition of NFPA #13 states that not morethan 750 gallons (2,839 L) of systemcapacity shall be controlled by one drypipe valve. The “exception” to this limita-tion allows the system piping volume toexceed 750 gallons (2,839 L) provided thatthe system design is such that water is dis-charged from the inspector’s test con-nection in not more than 60 seconds. This exception gives contractors the oppor-tunity to test the limits of their designcreativity and nerve.

How big is “too” big for the dry pipesprinkler system? This is the real question.Traditionally the contractor has had tobuild the dry system and open the inspec-tor’s test valve in order to get a measure ofthe system performance. Should the drysystem fail to meet the 60 second criteria,the traditional response has been to lowerthe system operating air pressure to a min-imum in order to improve the water transittime.

Taking this time proven approach, TheReliable Automatic Sprinkler Company hasdeveloped a new dry pipe system that low-ers system air pressures. This new system iscalled the LDX system. LDX stands for Lo-Pressure Dry system with an external reset.Lower system operating air pressures pro-vide the contractor with the opportunity toinstall larger dry pipe systems with fasterwater transit times.

Traditional differential dry pipe valveshave a 5 to 1 air to water area ratio of theclapper assembly. Reliable’s LDX systemhas a 17 to 1 ratio. The high ratio of theLDX valve allows high static water pres-sures to be held back with very low airpressures.

Even with the high ratio LDX systemand lower system air pressures, the ques-tion remains, how big can the system be?How does one calculate the water transittime? Hydraulic calculations for fire sprin-kler systems are relatively simple due to thefact that the water traveling through thesprinkler system piping is in a steady statecondition. Although the process can bearduous to tabulate all of the flows andfriction losses in the piping network, thegoverning equations are relatively simplecompared with the mechanics of waterentering a dry pipe sprinkler system that ischarged with air. When both air and waterare simultaneously flowing through thesame piping network, the system is experi-encing a two-phase flow of fluid. The air isthe gas phase fluid and the water is theliquid phase fluid. Each phase of fluid flowis subject to it’s own set of governingequations and to complicate the mechan-ics further, the air is being compressed andhence is not in a steady state flow condi-tion. Simply stated, the analytical calcula-tion for the water transit time in a dry pipe

sprinkler system is far too complex to besolved economically. As discouraging asthis sounds at this point, there does exist asimpler approach to this complex task.

As industry professionals we are allfamiliar with the Hazen-Williams formulafor calculating the pressure loss of water,traveling under steady state conditions,through standard piping geometry. Butperhaps we are not as familiar with thehistory or the mechanics behind theHazen-Williams equation. Messrs. Hazenand Williams did not take an analyticalapproach to their equation, but rather anempirical approach. Hazen and Williamsactually built piping networks connectedto a water storage vessel and measured theactual pressure drop across the piping foran array of various pipe sizes and flowrates. Thus armed with volumes of data,they returned to the laboratory and plottedthe results. Their equation is a fit to thegraphed curves of the measured data andnot analytically derived.

Reliable has taken an analogousapproach to the water transit time issue inlarge dry pipe systems. We have been sys-tematically measuring our LDX perfor-mance in an effort to tabulate a base ofdata for which large dry systems meet the 60-second requirement. From thisapproach we have identified some of thelimiting factors in dry system performance.

First, the water supply must be ade-quate to operate the system. The truemeasure of the kinetic energy of a watersupply is the flow rate, in gallons perminute (gpm). The flow rate directly trans-lates to the velocity at which the water willtravel through the piping. As a generalguideline or rule of thumb, the minimumrequired flow rate is twice the systemscapacity. The second limiting factor is theoverall travel distance from the LDX clap-per to the inspector’s test discharge orifice.The test data reveals that 450-ft. of traveldistance approaches the upper limit ofsuccess.

Travel distance and water supply flowrate are the two most important factors toconsider when designing large dry pipesprinkler systems. The following is a list ofdesign suggestions that will improve a sys-tems ability to meet the 60-second rule:

● Do not loop the cross mains. Center orend fed systems work best. Looping thecross mains is a very hydraulically effi-cient, but can double the water transittime since the supply needs to fill bothlegs of the loop simultaneously.

● Locate the LDX system riser as close tothe hazard as possible. Avoid long runsof feed mains.

● Use large orifice sprinklers (K= 8.0 orgreater). A large orifice smooth borebushing in the inspector’s test will dis-charge the air in the system exponen-tially faster than standard 1/2� sprinklers.

● Keep the length of the inspector’s testpiping to a minimum.

● Make the pipe size of the inspector’stest line the same size as the branch linetailpiece that supplies the last sprinkler.

● Use a quick opening, full port ball valveas the inspector’s test valve.

P R O D U C T P R O F I L E

Faster Water TransitTimes for LLaarrggee DDrryy PPiippeeFFiirree SSpprriinnkklleerr SSyysstteemmss

For more information, please contact:

Reliable Fire Sprinkler Ltd.Unit A2 Epsom Business Park

Kiln Lane, Epsom, Surrey KT17 1JK EnglandTel: +44 1372 728899Fax: +44 1372 184461

E-mail: [email protected]: www.reliablesprinkler.com

APF p. 33-56 1/11/06 11:45 am Page 51

There a several ways to provide pro-tection from fire for abovegroundflammable liquid storage tanks.

Protection methods allow abovegroundtanks to be installed with reduced set-back distances to buildings or propertylines. One method to reduce the setbackdistance is to install a fire suppressionsystem in or around the tank. Anothermethod is to enclose the tank in a 6 in.(15.2 cm) reinforced concrete vault,known as a special enclosure. Anothermethod is to include the insulation sys-tem within the tank design. UL devel-oped two safety standards for tanks thatinclude an integral insulation systemintended to reduce the heat transferred

to the primary tank when the tankassembly is exposed to a fire. The Stan-dard for Protected Aboveground Tanksfor Flammable and Combustible Liquids,UL 2085, covers Protected Tanks andthe Standard for Fire Resistant Tanks forFlammable and Combustible Liquids, UL2080, covers Fire Resistant Tanks.

There are two typical designs for Pro-tected or Fire Resistant tanks that areutilized by the majority of tank manu-facturers. One tank design consists of aprimary tank constructed in accordancewith the Standard for Steel Above-ground Tanks for Flammable and Com-bustible Liquids, UL 142, with asecondary containment outer shell thatcreates an interstitial space capable ofbeing monitored for leakage and alsoencloses the primary tank. The porousinsulation, consisting of a proprietaryblend of foaming agents and fire resis-tant materials, is poured into the inter-stitial space. For this tank design theinsulating material is between the pri-mary and secondary tank.

Another typical tank design includesa steel primary tank surrounded by atightly wrapped secondary containmentshell. The assembly is placed into amold and the fire resistant insulatingmaterial is poured around the outside ofthe secondary containment shell. Forthis tank design, the insulating materialis outside of the secondary containmentshell.

Both tank designs have demonstratedcompliance with the requirements of arigorous fire test. A sample tank isplaced in a furnace and the temperatureis quickly elevated to 2000°F (1093°C)within 5 minutes and held at 2000°F(1093°C) for a period of two hours. Priorto the fire test, the tank is equippedwith thermocouples placed inside theprimary tank at various locations. The

steel temperature of the primary tank isrecorded throughout the two-hour fireexposure.

In addition to the two-hour fire test,tanks with insulation in the interstitialspace undergo an open field fire test.During this test the space between theprimary and secondary tanks is filledwith gasoline and the tank is placed in asteel pan filled with diesel fuel andignited. The pressure in the interstitialspace is monitored to determine accept-ability.

The UL Standards for Fire Resistantand Protected Tanks were developedbased on changes in installation codes –the National Fire Protection Association(NFPA) and the Uniform Fire Code(UFC). Based on the NFPA fire code toallow a reduced setback for above-ground tanks, UL developed require-ments in accordance with theperformance criteria specified inNFPA30A, Motor Fuel Dispensing Facili-ties and Repair Garages. The require-ments, covering Fire Resistant Tanks,were published in 1992 and were subse-quently subject to review by the NFPAtechnical committee for NFPA30A.During the timeframe that UL wasworking with NFPA, similar require-ments for “Protected Tanks” were beingdeveloped by a technical committee ofthe Uniform Fire Code, (UFC). The UFCand NFPA are two separate fire codeorganizations within the USA. Somestates adopted the UFC and other statesadopted the NFPA fire codes.

There are primary differences betweenthe Standards for Fire Resistant Tanksand Protected Tanks standards. Themost significant difference betweenthese two standards is the maximumallowable temperature on the primarytank during the fire test. The criteria issummarized as follows:


52

Calibrated device for ballistic test(measures velocity of bullet).

Fire test – two-hour furnace at 2000°F.

Fire Protection forAboveground

Flammable Liquid Storage

Tanks

Fire Protection forAboveground

Flammable Liquid Storage

TanksBy Shari Hunter, P.E.

APF p. 33-56 1/11/06 11:46 am Page 52

The technical rationale for the maxi-mum temperature limitations on the pri-mary steel tanks is based on twofundamentally different viewpoints:mechanical strength of the material ver-sus auto-ignition temperature of thetank contents.

The NFPA30A Technical Committeeindicated that the temperature limita-tion should be based on the mechanicalproperties of steel and 1000°F (540°C)was chosen as the maximum singlepoint temperature in conjunction withthe point at which steel begins to loosesome of its mechanical strength.

The Uniform Fire Code adoptedrequirements for Protected tanks thatwere focused on limiting the maximumtemperature of the primary tank con-tents below the auto-ignition point ofthe typical flammable liquids. Therefore,the Standard, UL 2085, indicates thatno single temperature at a thermocou-ple on the primary tank is allowed toexceed 400°F (204°C), which is theauto-ignition temperature of n-heptane,a typical constituent of gasoline.

Protected Tanks, unlike Fire ResistantTanks, are required to undergo a hosestream test immediately following thefull scale, two-hour fire endurance test.Both types of tanks have the option ofbeing subjected to a “Vehicle Impact”test and a “Ballistics Impact” test.

The hose stream test is intended tosimulate the cooling and impact forcesthat can occur following a fire. Immedi-ately following the fire exposure test, theProtected tank is removed from the firetest chamber and subject to the hose

stream test. The tank must withstand theforce and continue to be leak tight.

The ballistic or projectile impact testis intended to simulate a sharp impact.The test is conducted on a sample tankby firing a several bullets from a rifleinto the most susceptible tank surfaces.The caliber and muzzle velocity of thebullets is specified. Following this test,the tank is to remain leak tight. Thistest is optional and tanks complyingwith this requirement provide additionalprotection from sharp impact.

The vehicle impact test simulates that atank can withstand the same collisionforce for which protective bollards aredesigned. Bollards are steel cylinders filledwith concrete, which are located at servicestations protecting the gasoline dispensers.The vehicle impact test utilizes a strikingface similar to that of an automobilebumper. The force at impact is equivalentto 10,000 lbs at 10 miles per hour. Thetank must remain leak tight following thistest. This test is optional and tanks com-plying with this requirement provide addi-tional protection from blunt impact.

The UL Listing Mark on ProtectedTanks and Fire Resistant Tanks states“This tank has not been investigated todetermine acceptability for use after fireexposure”. The decision to continue useof a tank after fire exposure is deter-mined by the tank owner and the regu-latory authority.

UL Listed tanks that have passed thefire test, projectile test or vehicle impacttest provide an additional level of pro-tection for the primary steel tank. Thesetests are not intended to indicate that a

tank is suitable for use after a pool fireor significant impact or other multiplehazards. Testing cannot be expected torepresent all potential exposures in thefield. It is always the responsibility of thetank owner and the regulatory authorityto determine whether the tank, eitherrepaired or not, can be used safely afteran exposure fire or impact condition. Anumber of scenarios could developwhich would cause an irreversible reduc-tion in the tank’s mechanical integrity orability to continue to perform properly.

In addition to the overall degradationof the structural steel supports, devicesand accessories may distort. On sampletanks for the fire test, accessories typicallymelt or fall off. Openings provided forleak detection equipment, shut-off valves,and emergency vents may be damaged tothe extent that they could not be usedeffectively after a fire exposure. Insulatingmaterials also become brittle after the firetest and they may crack easily.

UL also evaluates factory fabricated,pre-engineered tank assemblies inaccordance with the Standard forAboveground Flammable Liquid TankSystems, UL 2244. Tank systems consistof a UL Listed tank, such as a UL2085Protected Tank, core components andoptional accessories. The core compo-nents are mandatory items required bythe fire codes such as emergency vents,overfill prevention, liquid level gauges,secondary containment, etc. Optionalaccessories include access ladders, light-ing and photovoltaic power supplies.

Specifiers benefit by requiring a ULListed tank system since it can consoli-date a number of bid specification com-ponents and streamline the biddingprocess. Inspection officials also benefitsince the documentation provided withthe tank system identifies item-by-itemcompliance with the fire codes. Forexample, a tank system will have docu-mentation verifying that the emergencyvents have been sized in accordance withthe exposed wetted surface and that novent reduction factors were allowed.

Underwriters Laboratories, an inde-pendent, not-for-profit testing organiza-tion founded in 1894, tested more than18,000 types of products contributing toover 17 billion UL Marks appearing onproducts in 2001, including many prod-ucts used in the petroleum equipmentindustry, fire resistive constructions andfire protection equipment. UL standardscan be ordered from comm 2000 foundat http://www.comm-2000.com/ or bycalling +1-888-853-3503.


53

“Tank system” with protective bollards and access ladder.

Shari Hunter is a Manager ofConformity Assessment Services atUL’s Santa Clara California office.For questions, comments or productsubmittal information, contact UL athttp://www.ul.com/.

UL2080 Fire Resistant Tank UL2085 Protected Tank (NFPA) Requirements (UFC) Requirements

Maximum average 800°F (430°C) 260°F (144°C) temperature max average rise max average rise

Maximum single point temperature 1000°F (540°C) max 400°F (204°C) max

APF p. 33-56 1/11/06 11:46 am Page 53


54

ALARMCOM PRESS RELEASE FC500C PANELSSafe & Easy ConventionalFire Panels.Alarmcom is pleased to launch its newconventional panel series the FC500C.The range consists of 2, 4, 8 and 12zone versions all coming with a wealthof features to ensure compliance withthe toughest of specifications.

In common with Alarmcom’s renowned ‘safe & easy’ philosophythe range is simplicity itself to install and use and offers a qualityof build that is second to none.

The FC500C is fully compliant with EN54 parts 2 and 4 and canprovide capacity for up to 72hrs of integral standby.

The system has the ability to operate in manned and unmannedmode which allows signalling to the fire brigade to be delayed inthe event of operation of an automatic detector while signallingimmediately if a manual call point or further detection zone is acti-vated. Manual call points can be mixed on a zone with automaticdetectors and still provide manned/unmanned differentiation.

Outputs are provided for fire, stage 1 and 2 alarm, fault anddisable as well as individual outputs for each zone. Additionalinputs are available for remote evacuation, acknowledge, reset,access, manned/unmanned switching and remote transmission dis-able. Numerous programmable features complete the ranges abilityto match most requirements.

NEW SYNDURA FLUORINE FREE FOAM FORAVIATION SECTOR

Syndura from Angus Fire isthe world’s first operationalFluorine Free Foam (F3). Fluorine compounds have been used inhigh performance fire fighting foamslike AFFF for many years. However, con-

cerns have been expressed recently about their potentially harmfullong-term effects on the environment.

In response to these concerns, Angus Fire has become the firstmanufacturer to successfully eliminate fluorine compounds fromfoam without compromising fire fighting performance.

Syndura is approved to International Civil Aviation OrganizationLevel A performance; it is listed by Underwriters Laboratories for usewith portable and fixed foam-making equipment; and it also meets therequirements of the new EN 1568-3:2000 European foam standard.

Syndura has also demonstrated outstanding fire fighting perfor-mance in a series of simulated aircraft crash fires carried out by theUK MOD Fire Service. On a fully involved 280m2 fire involving2,500 litres of aviation fuel it achieved complete extinguishment inonly 50 seconds.

Furthermore, Syndura is ideal for fire professionals who are cur-rently prohibited by environmental regulations from using fluorine-based foam in non-emergency applications. Typical examples arecivilian and military airport fire services that are unable to carryout vehicle testing and training exercises.

Syndura is the latest “first” from the Angus Fire TechnologyCentre. It was developed in cooperation with research scientists atAngus Fire’s parent company Kidde plc, the largest independentgroup of fire equipment manufacturing companies in the world.

Angus Fire’s Mike Willson comments “Angus Fire is committed tomeeting the needs of fire fighters while at the same time complyingfully with environmental regulations. It’s in everyone’s interest thateffective fluorine free foam technology has now become a reality”.

CLIMBING TECHNOLOGYCLIMBING TECHNOLOGY is a dynamic company specialised in theworldwide distribution of Personal Protection Equipment andComponents to the Industrial and Rescue fields.

Our work policy is based on three main objectives: Safety, Cus-tomer Needs and Research. Our products are made only of thebest raw materials and produced entirely in Europe under the strictsurveillance of ISO 9002. This quality system guarantees that thelight alloy used is in conformity with EN 754 and the stainlesssteel is of the highest quality.

All our PPE is individually tested and certified CE according tothe relative European standard by the French third party testinglaboratory, APAVE LYONNAISE. These standards require that eachitem submitted for certification is tested for dynamic resistance,static resistance, corrosion and performance.

Our 200+ product range includes connectors, attach systems forconnectors, indicator swivel hooks for retractable type fall-stopdevices, fall-stop devices for use with ropes, fall-stop devices foruse with cables, descenders, shock absorbers, buckles, rings, pul-leys, harness plates and various accessories in a variety of sizes andfinishings.

We also offer training courses in standards, inspection, mainte-nance and use of our articles for the prevention and the protectionagainst falls from heights.

Another main objective is to constantly grow and evolve andwith this in mind, we strive to create new technologically advancedproducts to offer our clients. This allows us to supply custommade items to satisfy special requests and needs. Thanks to ourresearch department, so far this year, we have already been able toinclude eight new products in our catalogue.

New emergency signals combine goodlooks, installation flexibility and unbeatableperformance.

Edwards Systems Technology (EST) ispleased to announce the addition ofspeakers and speaker-strobes to theiraward-winning Genesis family ofemergency signals. Extending a mere25mm from the wall, these signals arethe most compact UL and CE listedspeaker-strobes available today.

More than just a pretty face, Genesisspeakers and strobes also boast valuable

features like crystal-clear, highly intelligible audio output, field-configurable light (15 to 110 candela) and speaker output (1/4 to 2 watt) settings. Light and output settings remain visible evenafter the unit is installed, allowing at-a-glance verification andsimple adjustment. This flexibility means contractors have fewerparts to stock and adjustments can be made on the fly. It meansinstallers can fine-tune any device in the field to tweak the besteconomy from power supplies and amplifiers. And that savesmoney.

Genesis speaker-strobes can also save lives. Thanks to EST’sexclusive FullLight™ strobe technology, these signals produce theindustry’s most even light distribution, ensuring they will benoticed from virtually any viewing angle.

Ultra-slim good looks, cost-saving features, and unbeatable per-formance, EST’s new Genesis speakers and strobes are sure tobecome a fixture of any carefully designed life safety system.

Edwards Systems Technology, a unit of SPX Corporation, is aworld leader in the design and manufacture of fire detection,security, emergency evacuation systems and life safety products for commercial, industrial and institutional applications. Thecompany’s intelligent life safety systems protect lives and liveli-hoods throughout the world. SPX Corporation is a $5-billionglobal provider of technical products and systems, industrial

Product Update ● Product Update ● Product Update

For more information, please contact:Alarmcom AG

Tel: +41 1 922 61 55Website: www.alarmcom.com

For more information, please contact:Climbing Technology Limited

Tel: +44 (0) 207 935 7839Website: www.climbingtechnology.com

For further Information please contact:Angus Fire

Tel: +44 (0) 1844 265 021Website: www.angusfire.co.uk

APF p. 33-56 1/11/06 11:46 am Page 54


55

products and services, flow technology and service solutions. SPX,headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, has operations in 34countries.

NEW HOLMATRO® NCT™ (NEW CAR TECHNOLOGY)HYDRAULIC CUTTER SERIES

Holmatro® recently introduced ahydraulic cutter series with a new bladetype specially designed for new hardmaterials and constructions used inmodern vehicles. These so-called NCT™cutters cut sills, A-, B- and C-posts of

modern vehicles much more efficiently (i.e. at a much lower pres-sure/force) and smoother than conventional cutters so far.

Under influence of the European norm many cutters marketedtoday come with a similar blade type, resulting in versatile cutters,for a wide variety of applications. However, from regular cuttingtests on the latest vehicles and prototypes, Holmatro® found outthat a totally different blade type is more suitable for the materialsand constructions of modern vehicles. Holmatro® introduces thisnew blade type, with a revolutionary 90º blade angel on its newNCT™ cutter series. Apart from the blades, these cutters are identi-cal to the conventional Holmatro® cutters.

The Holmatro® CU 3035 NCT™ and CU 3040 NCT™ cutters needless pressure to cut modern vehicle materials and constructions thanconventional cutters. NCT™ cutters have up to 60% more excesscapacity for future vehicle developments than conventional cutters!And: vehicles will continue to get stronger. Because of the controlledand smooth manner of cutting, little rest energy is released.

Holmatro® now offers rescuers a choice. Rescuers should choosea Holmatro® general-purpose GP cutter (conventional cutter) iftheir application varies from vehicle accidents to collapsed build-ings, train accidents, etc. Rescuers should definitely choose a Hol-matro® NCT™ cutter if their main application is vehicle accidents.

UK DECON TECHNOLOGY PLAYS WORLD ROLE INWAR ON TERRORISMIn the worldwide surge of interest in portable inflatable decontam-ination technology products, stimulated by the US declaration ofwar on terrorism, particular interest has been shown by those pro-duced by a UK company, Plysu Protection Systems.

Recently awarded the UK government contract for the produc-tion of the UK emergency services first standard portable inflatabledecontamination shower for casualties the company’s products arenow in use worldwide, and can be found anywhere from the head-quarters of the US Army’s Strategic Operation Command at FortBragg to a waste recycling plant in the Czech Republic. In SE AsiaPlysu’s systems are used by the Japanese Defence Agency, variousJapanese City Fire Departments, the Hong Kong Fire Service andTaiwan’s Emergency Services.

A number of basic units are offered by Plysu, suitable for both thedecontamination of protective clothing as well as casualties, but every-thing that the company makes is customised according to customerspecification. When not in use the units are stored in a holdall. In thecase of the smallest unit this weights 35 kg, which on inflationbecomes, in moments, a 1900mm wide by 1900mm long 2300mmhigh shower cubicle with all its shower equipment ready to go to work.

PROMAT INTERNATIONAL (ASIA PACIFIC) LTD.Fire RatedBaggage Check-In at World’s BestAirport.Singapore’s Changi Inter-national Airport PassengerTerminals handle some 5-6 million travellersannually.

The new baggagecheck-in structure at Ter-

minal 2 was constructed by employing the versatile and flexiblePROMATECH-H Calcium Silicate Boards, carried out by the localPromat representative.

The fire rated compartment had to follow the shape and curva-ture of the baggage-conveying configuration, whilst still meetingthe principals of compartmentation to contain potential firespread.

In addition to providing the specified fire rating, PROMATECH-H boards were curved to a radius as small as 4 metres.

SCOTT – A WIDER GLOBAL IDENTITY –DELIVERING ENHANCED CUSTOMER FOCUSProtector and Sabre are internationally renowned as premiumpersonnel protective equipment brands. The range includesbreathing apparatus, respiratory and head protection, gas detectionand medical oxygen products. All have earned a deservedreputation for quality, reliability, comfort and ease of use over thelast 30 years.

In September 2001 Tyco acquired Protector Technologies andthe Sabre and Protector range of products became part of the TycoFire and Security Division.

Scott Health and Safety, the worlds leading breathing apparatusmanufacturer, Scott Oy, a leading respiratory protection equipmentcompany and Scott Instruments, designers and manufacturers ofGas Detection equipment, were already part of the Tyco Fire andSecurity portfolio.

“When we announced our acquisition of Protector Technologieswe pointed to the huge opportunities for technology transfer and team based global development that we now had within the group.” said Nigel Trodd, Vice President, Europe, Middle East and Africa, Tyco Suppression Systems. “The key objective is to deliver customer focussed solutions to personnel protection problems and whilst we have only been together for 8 months we have already put in place global project teams working on delivering these benefits to our customers. A rolling programme of new initiatives will be launched thissummer.”

“In recognition of our increased global focus and portfolio weare renaming our Protector Technologies operation ScottInternational. This will remain a separate company within Tyco Fire and Security, based at Skelmersdale, England, and will workvery closely with all the other Scott companies in the USA andEurope.”

“In changing the company name we want to clearly communi-cate the fact that we are one team; a team dedicated to providingpersonnel protection solutions that our customers will use bychoice rather than necessity.”

A new web site supports the new Scott International portfolio.This can be viewed at www.scottint.com

Product Update ● Product Update ● Product Update

For more information, please contact:Holmatro Rescue Equipment

Tel: +31 162 589 200Website: www.holmatro.com

For more information, please contact:Plysu Protection SystemsTel: + 44 (0) 1908 287123

Email: [email protected]

For more information, please contact:Edwards Systems Technology (EST)

Tel: + 1 905 270-1711Website: www.estinternational.com

For further information, please contact:Scott International

Tel: +44 (0) 1695 711 700Website: www.scotint.com

For more information, please contact:Promat International (Asia Pacific) Ltd.

Tel: +60 3 6250 2880Website: www.promat-ap.com

APF p. 33-56 1/11/06 11:47 am Page 55


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Airmaster Technology (AMTECH) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37

Angus Fire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10

Chemetron Fire Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15

Chemguard, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24

Climbing Technology Limited . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27

Draeger South East Asia Pte. Ltd . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37

Dr. Sthamer Hamburg . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42

Edwards International . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .IFC

Fire Fighting Enterprises (FFE) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .07

Great Lakes Chemical Corporation . . . . . . . . . . . . . .OBC

Hale Europe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .04

Holmatro Rescue Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20

Hughes Safety Showers Ltd . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41

Infratherm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .48

Kilsen S.A. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18

Lion Apparel Asia Pacific . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .33

Lukas Hydraulik GmbH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18

Macron Safety Systems (UK) Ltd. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28

Max Widenmann KG Armaturenfabrik . . . . . . . . . . . .11

MSA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34

MSA Gallet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .47

NFPA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .IBC

Niedner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10

Nippon Keori Kaisha, Ltd. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29

OCV Control Valves . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .07

Plysu Protection Systems Ltd. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41

Promat International (Asia Pacific) Ltd. . . . . . . . . . . .29

Pyrozone Manufacturing PTY Ltd . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12

Reliable Automatic Sprinkler Co. Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . .02

Scott International . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39

The Fire Shop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15

Trelleborg Protective Products AB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39

Zumro BV . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21

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An MDM PUBLICATIONIssue 2 – June 2002



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APF p. 33-56 1/11/06 11:49 am Page 56

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APF Issue 02

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Transcript of APF Issue 02