Cherry Products is supplying a new type of fire extinguisher, which is not only lighter than most existing designs, but offers lower maintenance costs and a longer service life. Simon Henley found out more.
The fire extinguisher could be described as the most important component in any farm building. Hopefully never required, they are left alone and ignored between annual services. Yet their strategic importance as both a firefighting and potentially lifesaving device should not be overlooked.
The P50 AFFF is one of several types of a new fire extinguisher design, which is distributed throughout the UK by Cherry Products in Oxfordshire. It looks like any other steel-cased fire extinguisher, except some key differences make it well suited to agricultural applications.
Made in the UK, the new design uses a pressure vessel which incorporates a plastic inner core, surrounded by a woven layer of Kevlar thread. This is covered by an outer vessel made of a red UPVC.
There are several benefits to this design, according to the manufacturer. Firstly, it is 15 per cent lighter than a comparative steel version. Secondly, the new design will not explode if exposed to extreme heat; but instead will simply melt.
Thirdly, the design has a 20-year service life, whereas a steel vessel is typically scrapped after five years. This makes the P50 considerably more environmentally-friendly, which, the company says, is attracting the attention of some diverse customers.
Cherry Products’ Ian Fenton says: “We are already supplying these extinguishers to several NHS Trusts, The Crown Estate, Pepsi-Cola and Walkers Crisps.
“The design is quite different from traditional versions, which makes it more environmentally-friendly to manufacture, but also a more efficient tool for fighting fires. In terms of maintenance, the new extinguisher will typically save owners 48 per cent in costs during its lifetime.”
The P50 tri-class foam used in the extinguisher, is not a new development. However most steel extinguishers would have a foam-concentration specification of 13A up to 21A, the P50 delivers a concentrated 34A rating. This provides double the fire-fighting capacity of a standard 13A steel extinguisher.
Through a patented design, the P50 AFFF Extinguisher is identified as tri-class. This means it is rated for: A (flammable solids); B (flammable liquids) and electrical fires. The benefit of this, is you only need one P50 extinguisher (as opposed to two steel units), which reduces the quantity needed and prevents confusion if the extinguisher is required.
Electrical Current
Traditional aqueous film-forming foam steel extinguishers can conduct electrical current through the extinguisher hose and electrify the steel vessel.
The design of the P50 extinguisher has overcome this issue and has been awarded certification for use on electrical fires up to 1,000 volts at one-metre.
In terms of service, annual inspections remain mandatory. However, these can be performed by an allotted competent person within the company, using a simple step-by-step guide without the need for formal qualifications.
To assist with this, the manufacturer has produced a bespoke software package which serves as a portal to record the service, maintenance and replacement requirements of fire extinguishers owned by a specific business.
