Chubb launches the first range of foam fire extinguishers in the UK to meet a recognised standard for bio-degradable qualities

Purafoam™ provides all-round class A and B fire fighting performance

	Wood, Paper, Textiles, Fabric
	Petrol, Diesel, Oils

Purafoam™

The first range of foam fire extinguishers in the UK to meet a recognised standard for bio-degradable qualities

The purer solution to fighting fires

Chubb Fire is committed to providing effective foam fire extinguishers – but must also consider the environmental effects of fire extinguishing foams. With growing concerns among many UK businesses about the environment, combined with tightening controls on disposal of waste materials, the search began for a new standard against which we could measure the environmental characteristics of our products; and for foams which met the standard.

Defining “environmentally friendly”

The Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) published new guidelines in December 2003 for describing the environmental characteristics of products and services. However, there are no UK standards which define the environmental qualities for fire extinguishing foams. For this we currently have to look overseas. In Holland a standard has been developed and it is to this Dutch “Stichting Milieukeur” test we have developed Purafoam™, the latest innovation in foam fire extinguishers.

What is Purafoam™?

Purafoam™ provides all-round class A and B fire fighting performance, with the biodegradability qualities to minimise the harm to the environment at the time of use.

At a seminar for UK Fire Brigades in late 2002, the problem of using foam containing fluorosurfactants - a known organohalogen – was explored. Although organohalogens are a list one banned substance under the UK Groundwater Regulations, there is a general consensus that putting out fires effectively is more important than any after effect the foam could have on the environment. Chubb took on this challenge to develop a product that would start to address this issue. The result is Purafoam™, exclusive to Chubb Fire.

In an ideal world, a fire extinguisher would be both environmentally friendly and highly effective on class A (solids) and class B (liquid) fires. However, as a global market leader Chubb Fire was able to conduct extensive international research on this issue and found that there is no foam without the banned organohalogen that will work effectively on a British Standard recognised class B fire.

A foam that is truly environmentally friendly?

Our global research has proved that there is no foam without the banned organohalogen that will work effectively on a British Standard recognised class B fire. The reason for this is the fluorosurfactant (organohalogen) gives the foam a film forming quality that enables it to seal a vast expanse of burning liquid which smothers the fire and prevents re-ignition. No business can claim to provide a totally environmentally friendly foam fire extinguisher, but Chubb Fire will continue to work towards achieving this aim.

Purafoam™ is the first step.

How is Purafoam™ better than Standard AFFF?

Litre for litre, no other UK fire extinguisher has a greater class B fire rating, giving improved all round safety. Traditional AFFF fire extinguishers do not have readily biodegradable contents, therefore as a result these substances can build up in the environment and could cause damage over time. Purafoam™ is readily biodegradable, therefore less harmful to the environment.

What is Stichting Milieukeur?

Stichting Milieukeur is a strict test that the Dutch use to confirm how readily biodegradable each foam formulation is. In the UK, Chubb Fire is now lobbying the UK Government and approvals bodies to introduce a definition of “environmentally friendly fire fighting foam” – an equivalent to the Stichting Milieukeur test. This test is derived from the European Groundwater Directive (the same legislation that led to the UK’s Groundwater Regulations). Chubb Fire’s new Purafoam™ range of fire extinguishers passed the Stichting Milieukeur test and the product has quickly become a leader in the Dutch marketplace. Recognising this as good environmental practice, from January 2004, Chubb Fire can exclusively supply these approved fire extinguishers in the UK - our Purafoam™ range.

The science of biodegradability

The Stichting Milieukeur standard is achieved by the content not exceeding any of the following criteria:

• The Halogeneted hydrocarbons in the fluorosurfactants must not be volatile
  
  
• Foam must not, according to EC-directive 88/379/EEG, be classified as…
• mordant/corrosive(C)
• harmful (Xn)
• toxic or very toxic (VT)
  
• Every organic premix ingredient present at more than 0.1% must have an aquatic toxicity better than 10mg/L
  
  
• Grade of zinc must be below 750 ppm
  
  
• Only readily biodegradable surfactants should be used

Proving our claims about Purafoam™

As well as reaching the Stichting Milieukeur standard, Chubb Fire’s Purafoam™ range of Fire Extinguishers also carries the BS EN3 kitemark and the CE mark to show approval to the European Pressure Equipment Directive. In addition, they have passed the electrical conductivity tests of BSEN3. So Purafoam™ is third party certified to be:

• Readily bio-degradable
  
  
• Effective at fighting Class A and B fires
  
  
• Safe to use

Who will benefit from Purafoam™?

Any organisation which has introduced or is planning to introduce a policy of reducing the environmental impact of its business activities now has the option to specify Purafoam™ to replace traditional AFFF fire extinguishers.

Also, any workplace which has a high fire risk will benefit from the high Class B performance achieved by Purafoam™ compared to traditional AFFF Fire Extinguishers

Standard Chubb AFFF Purafoam™

6 Litre 13A : 144B 13A : 183B

9 Litre 21A : 183B 21A : 233B

A survey carried out in 2002* shows some sectors experience a higher proportion of fires and these typically have Class B risks, including

Type of premises % of fires reported in survey*

Factory 25.5%

Garage/Forecourt 11.0%

Entertainment 8.9%

Vehicle 8.8%

In the Open 7.3%

Catering 6.0%

*Survey conducted by Fire Extinguishing Trades Association and the Independent Fire Equipment Distributors Association

Discharge testing AFFF fire extinguishers – the guidelines

During the five year discharge test required by BS 5306: Part 3, discharging an AFFF fire extinguisher

• down a drain or soakaway is in direct contravention to the Groundwater Regulations 1998
  
  
• into a watercourse or onto land may constitute an offence under the Groundwater Regulations
  
  
• discharging down a sink or toilet should be followed by anything up to an hour of flushing according to FETA (Fire Extinguishing Trades Association) guidelines

Chubb Fire’s policy is to discharge all foam extinguishers down a sink or toilet when on customers’ premises, to enable the foam to be diluted and treated. Alternatively, products will be returned to Chubb Fire’s Extinguisher Recycling Unit for centralised processing and disposal by formal foam registered waste contractors.

Freeze protection

Traditional freeze protection additives like mono-ethylene glycol (MEG) do not meet the Stichting Milieukeur requirements. This means that the addition of MEG to a Purafoam™ fire extinguisher would void its approval. We therefore will continue to offer a range of traditional AFFF fire extinguishers, which have been approved to BS EN3 with the addition of MEG, for environments where freeze protection is more important than bio-degradability.