Other Extinguishing Systems

As part of any fire strategy, there is likely to be a requirement for supplementary extinguishing or safety systems to be used by individuals (or operated remotely) to attack the blaze at the point that it occurs.

Fire extinguishers are located in many buildings, containing the relevant extinguishant subject to the hazards present in the area as one of the cornerstones of most fire strategies. Hose reels are also commonly found in many public and commercial premises. The use of fire blankets in kitchens areas are increasingly being used to assist in the fighting of fires and also to reduce the risk of the loss of live and property when fire strikes. There is however a note of caution about these products. Training in the use of these products is vital. These products can provide an initial means of fighting fires at early stage but can present danger for operators who are not trained adequately.

The use of flame retardant materials used to prevent fire such as welding booths in industry, safes with fire rated properties to protect vital company information, and the use of intumescent seals to slow down the spread of fire are also widely used to minimise risk and the losses encountered when a fire occurs.

Hydrants, Wet and Dry Risers are also commonly used when designing a fire strategy for a property. All of these items are normally only used by the fire brigade when in attendance at a fire. They are there to assist in providing the means of getting water to an area of the property that the brigade’s hose are unlikely to reach.

The use of monitors or water cannon can also be used where it may be necessary to project water (or foam) jets over long distances and wide areas. These are generally used in high risk areas, are designed to oscillate and can be operated manually or by remote control. These can be seen in many applications from waste management facilities and aircraft hangers to being mounted on the decks of ships.

Advice and inclusion of any of these products in a full turnkey solution are available from Argus on all of these and other supplementary systems.

For further information of the gases used, benefits and disadvantages, typical designs and other technical data available in the technical library or contact us.