What Maintenance Does Fire Equipment Need?It is through the use of firefighting equipment that people are able to save property and even lives when fire accidents occur. Schools, homes, and workplaces are safer with firefighting equipment installed in their compounds. Taking care of firefighting equipment is necessary. Inspection should be carried out regularly, either weekly, monthly or after every six months. The checks should ensure that the equipment is functioning correctly. Failure to take proper care of your fire extinguishers will make the equipment less effective in case of a fire. As a result, a small fire accident that could have been dealt with quickly can become a catastrophe. You should understand that there are two types of maintenance services that you should give your firefighting equipment, namely, professional and self-maintenance. Professional MaintenanceAs per NZS 4503:2005, It is a standard requirement in businesses for all fire equipment to undergo professional inspection once in a while. Professional maintenance has its advantages in that the experts can provide immediate solutions if a problem is identified, unlike self-maintenance, where you may not be able to provide required solutions in some cases. In most cases, the company that installed the fire equipment is the one that carries out the inspection, but you can also hire a different company to do so. The following are some of the services that you should expect from a firefighting equipment technician: Periodic InspectionsA professional fire equipment company will carry out inspection either six-monthly or annually. Some of the things that the technician will look at during the inspection include:
The company will also issue you with a certificate to show that your equipment has undergone inspection as required. Internal InspectionsIt is essential to understand that there are times when the extinguisher develops pressure issues from inside the tank. You will have to get a certified extinguisher technician, as you cannot do it on your own. The period after which this inspection is carried out varies depending on the device. A professional fire equipment company will also look into the condition of the fire hose reels, smoke alarms, fire hydrants, and other automatic devices that help with firefighting. Self-conducted maintenanceWhile it is vital to get professional maintenance services, carrying out your inspection is essential. With self-maintenance, you can also maximize the lifespan of your firefighting equipment. The following are some of the things that you should do when carrying out self-maintenance.
from https://fireprotectiononline.co.nz/how-often-do-fire-extinguishers-need-to-be-inspected-in-nz/
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Dry Powder Fire ExtinguishersDry Powder Fire Extinguishers are the most common fire extinguishers in New Zealand. Often referred to as Dry Powder, Dry Chemical or ABE Fire Extinguishers, they contain a dry chemical powder as the extinguishing agent.
How to Identify A Dry Powder Fire ExtinguisherDry Powder Fire Extinguishers are a red cylinder with a white band running all around the top. Older, outdated models were an entire white cylinder. You can often see the words Dry Chemical printed on the front. Where To Use A Dry Powder Fire ExtinguisherDue to their versatility, dry chemical fire extinguishers can be used in many different settings. They are suited for around the home, in the office, large factories and many other types of businesses. There are two kinds of dry chemical fire extinguishers on the market. ABE Fire ExtinguishersAs the name suggests, ABE fire extinguishers can be used to fight fires of class A, B, and E. This covers a wide range of hazards, including fires involving paper, wood, petrol, as well as electrical fires. Although not included in the rating, ABE fire extinguishers are also capable of extinguishing class C fires – flammable gases. BE Fire ExtinguishersBE Fire extinguishers, although not as common as ABE can be used to handle fires of classes B and E, which include flammable liquids such as petrol and diesel, as well as electrical fires. Also, BE extinguishers appear identical to ABE extinguishers at first glance. The only way to tell the difference is by reading the label at the front of the extinguisher. How Does A Dry Powder Fire Extinguisher Work?ABE fire extinguishers are filled with the chemical powder, monoammonium phosphate (MAP), which acts as an extinguishing agent. This chemical spreads easily and melts over the flames to cover the fire in the case of class A and E fires, and thus puts it out. With class B fires, the powder smothers the base of the fire and blocks the vapour from escaping, which extinguishes the fire immediately. BE extinguishers contain a different type of dry chemical powder which doesn’t melt over the flames. It cannot be used to put fight class A fires. Dry Powder SizesThe most common Dry Powder Fire Extinguisher sizes found in New Zealand are
Disadvantages Of Dry Powder ExtinguishersCleaning up after use can be a tedious task because of the how fine the powder is. In confined space visibility can be reduced dramatically while using this extinguisher. Making it hard to see where to point the nozzle or where an escape exit is. Once the powder has entered the head, all the nitrogen will leak out. So even if you use just a small puff, you will need to get your extinguisher recharged. How To Use A Dry Powder Fire ExtinguisherLike all other fire extinguishers, you need to remember the PASS-word. Pull the Pin Aim at the base of the fire. Squeeze the handle. Sweep from side to side. See our guide on How to Use a Fire Extinguisher. from our Fire Protection Blog https://fireprotectiononline.co.nz/dry-powder-fire-extinguisher-nz/ How Does A Fire Extinguisher Work?Tо сrеаtе a fire rеԛuіrеѕ three elements, a соmbuѕtіblе fuel, a ѕоurсе оf hеаt аt оr аbоvе the fuеlѕ ignition tеmреrаturе and оxуgеn without whісh a fіrе саnnоt burn. Thіѕ is соmmоnlу rеfеrrеd to аѕ thе Fіrе Trіаnglе. Thе соmbіnаtіоn of Fuel, Hеаt and Oxуgеn. All fіrе extinguishers wоrk by removing one оr mоrе of thеѕе thrее еlеmеntѕ.Wаtеr extinguishers cool thе fuеl, rеmоvіng thе heat element frоm the fіrе trіаnglе. CO2 extinguishers rерlасе the оxуgеn wіth саrbоn dіоxіdе, rеmоvіng the оxуgеn frоm thе trіаnglе. Bоth Fоаm and Pоwdеr еxtіnguіѕhеrѕ рlасе a рhуѕісаl barrier bеtwееn thе fire and thе оxуgеn іn thе аіr, аgаіn rеmоvіng thе оxуgеn еlеmеnt from thе fire triangle. Bоth Fоаm and CO2 have a cooling еffесt but thіѕ hаѕ a mіnоr іmрасt оn putting thе fіrе оut compared tо thе oxygen bаrrіеr they рrоduсе. Mоѕt fіrе еxtіnguіѕhеrѕ are аvаіlаblе in twо саnіѕtеr tуреѕ, ѕtоrеd рrеѕѕurе оr саrtrіdgе ореrаtеd. Thе vast majority of hаndhеld fire extinguishers nоw uѕе ѕtоrеd pressure.Cаrtrіdgе ореrаtеd extinguishers have a ѕераrаtе gаѕ саrtrіdgе іnѕіdе the mаіn extinguisher суlіndеr, mаkіng it easier tо recharge the еxtіnguіѕhеr аftеr use. Carbon dіоxіdе еxtіnguіѕhеrѕ dо nоt соntаіn a gаѕ суlіndеr but hоld саrbоn dіоxіdе undеr hіgh рrеѕѕurе іn lіԛuіd fоrm. How To Operate A Fire ExtinguisherOperating a fіrе extinguisher соuld nоt be easier. Yоu will fіnd іnѕtruсtіоnѕ рrіntеd on all саnіѕtеrѕ mаdе tо New Zealand Stаndаrds tо ореrаtе the fіrе еxtіnguіѕhеr. Pull out the retaining ріn (thіѕ wіll аutоmаtісаllу brеаk thе рlаѕtіс “pull tight” ѕесurіtу ѕеаl), and brіеflу squeeze thе hand grір tо сhесk thе еxtіnguіѕhеr is wоrkіng, bеfоrе approaching thе fire. Onlу then dіѕсhаrgе thе еxtіnguіѕhеr аt thе fire. The ѕtоrеd рrеѕѕurе іn thе суlіndеr fоrсеѕ thе соntеntѕ оut оf the dіѕсhаrgе nоzzlе. Direct thе еxtіnguіѕhеr nоzzlе аt thе fire until thе fіrе іѕ соmрlеtеlу еxtіnguіѕhеd. Releasing thе grip wіll stop thе discharge. Each tуре of extinguisher is оnlу useful оn ѕресіfіс types оf fіrе and the bеѕt wау tо dіrесt thе discharge tо рut out thеѕе fіrеѕ іѕ аlѕо dіffеrеnt fоr еасh tуре of extinguisher. So аlwауѕ fоllоw the іnѕtruсtіоnѕ оn thе ID ѕіgn аnd the еxtіnguіѕhеr when uѕіng. from https://fireprotectiononline.co.nz/how-a-fire-extinguisher-works/ Fire is a constant danger when you're using flammable materials in any workshop. Your safety depends on whether you can
Class A Fires Class A fires start when materials such as paper, rubbish, wood, cloth or other carbon-based materials ignite. Class B Fires Class B fires involve flammable liquids such as paints, oil and petrol. With these materials, its the vapours or fumes that burn rather than the liquid. Because the vapours are lighter than the air, they can drift away from the seat of the fire, and then ignite, causing what's called a flash off. This instantaneously increases the size of the fire and is very dangerous. Class D Fires Class D fires are fires involving combustible metals such as sodium, magnesium, lithium and potassium. Specialised dry powders are available to control these fires. Class E Fires Class E fires are electrical fires. They usually start because of short circuit or arching in loose connections, or because wiring becomes overheated. You must be very careful here because there is the added risk of electrical shock as well as the threat from the fire. Switch off the power if you can safely. Types Of Fire Extinguisher Fire Extinguisher Types NZ There are five types of fire extinguisher found throughout the working environment, they are
Class A Fires: Water, dry powder, foam, co2 and wet chemical extinguishers are suitable for this kind of fire. Your best plan of attack is to locate the nearest fire hose. This will give you a constant stream of cold water. The temperature at the base of the fire will cool to a point below that needed for combustion to take place. Class B Fires: these fires can be put out using foam, dry powder or co2 extinguishers. These starve the fire of the oxygen it requires for burning. Water is useless in these situations because it will only spread the fuel around and increase the base of the fire. Class D Fires: these fires require specialised powders and are usually designed for a specific metal such as lithium, sodium, magnesium, etc. Sand can also be used to smother the fire. Using water would produce hydrogen (H2) and cause an explosion. Class E Fires: use dry powder or co2 extinguishers to fight electrical fires. Neither of these conducts electricity, and both starve the fire of the oxygen it requires for burning. You must never use water on an electrical fire. Water and electricity do not mix. Water is a good conductor and will suck the electricity to the source of the water. Fire extinguishers are colour coded to help you identify the contents and which kind of fire they should be used on. They have easy to follow operating instructions. Make sure that you read these instructions before you have to use an extinguisher. This will save you time in a real emergency situation and help you feel more confident. Fire Hose Reels Fire hose reels should be located to provide a reasonably accessible and controlled supply of water to combat potential fire risks. The length of a fully extended fire hose is normally between 18 to 36 metres. Hose diameters are usually 13 or 19 millimetres ( internal measurement). Fire hose reels usually deliver a minimum of 14 litres of water per minute. However, some hose reels have flows of up to 75 litres per minute. A control nozzle attached to the end of the hose enables the operator to control the direction and flow of the water. From https://fireprotectiononline.blogspot.com/2019/09/nz-fire-extinguisher-types-and-fire.html Types Of Fire Extinguishers NZ New Zealand fire extinguisher types differ from those found around the world. It is essential that you are familiar which fire extinguisher is suitable for each class of fire. It’s simple to identify the type of fire extinguisher by the band of colour marked around the top of the cylinder.
THE FIVE MAIN TYPES OF FIRE EXTINGUISHERS FOUND IN NZ ARE:
https://fireprotectiononline.co.nz/different-types-of-fire-extinguishers-new-zealand/ Fire is a chemical reaction which needs three things to be present so it can happen: OXYGEN + HEAT + FUEL = FIRE
If one of these is not present, the fire cannot start. If one of these were taken from a fire, it would go out. But how does this all work? The parts of the fire triangle are these: Heat, Fuel and Oxygen. These three parts are required for a fire to be present, so to secure against or put out a current fire we should eliminate a minimum of one of the aspects. Various extinguisher types are created to get rid of several of those components to put out a fire. As an example, water removes heat and foam can stop oxygen from getting in touch with fire by covering it similar to a blanket. To cut out the fuel source might be more difficult. From https://fireprotectiononline.co.nz/fire-triangle/ |
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