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 | | NEW PORTABLE EXTINGUISHER REDUCES RISK FROM METAL FIRES | | | Tyco Safety Products | | 07/08/2008 | | | A new portable fire extinguisher has been launched in the UK specifically designed to fight metal fires that typically can reach temperatures in excess of 2000 degrees C. It is aimed at metalworking production areas in vehicle manufacturing and household appliance plants where there is a risk of light metal and alloy waste catching fire during machining operations.
Following the recent introduction of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order that transferred responsibility for fire safety from the fire brigade to the building owner or occupier, the new portable should also interest safety officers in the chemical industry, in nuclear power plants and laboratories.
The new TOTAL® brand extinguisher is suitable for such metals as magnesium, aluminium, potassium, sodium, calcium and lithium. Unlike conventional Class D portable extinguishers that use agents with a high risk of chemical reaction, the new extinguisher uses a specially developed TOTALIT M™ metal-fire powder extinguishant that works by forming a crust on the combustible surface, depriving the fire of oxygen. A purpose-designed nozzle ensures gentle application, further reducing the risk to the extinguisher operator. Two models are available, a 12kg hand-held portable and a 50kg wheel-mounted unit. Both feature a 1.5-metre hose and an extended length lance.
The new portable was developed at the TOTAL dedicated portables research and manufacturing facility in Neuruppin in Germany. It is one of an extensive new range of special-application portable extinguishers that are available through Express Fire in Manchester and from a country-wide network of approved TOTAL supply partners that are trained to advise, install and maintain the right extinguishers in peak condition.
Other TOTAL specials include powder portables for coal fires; antimagnetic CO2 portables for hospitals and clinics; specially-formulated water portables for sawdust fires; wet chemical portables for cooking oil and fat fires, and purpose-designed foam portables for polar liquid fires. There is also a unique “Tandem” portable / automatic extinguisher that doubles up as a fixed, automatic extinguisher for protecting unattended fire risks.
Virtually every stage of cylinder manufacture is under the direct control of TOTAL, including material selection and sourcing in Europe, the most advanced low-heat plasma welding, fabrication, assembly and high-performance powder-coating, cylinder pressure testing and agent filling. This commitment to quality is underpinned by uniquely numbering each and every TOTAL cylinder to provide a complete and reliable quality audit trail.
All TOTAL portables are manufactured from specially formulated steel that remains flexible after heating and welding. The one-millimetre-thick internal powder coating is widely recognised as the industry’s most hardwearing surface. Every cylinder is electrode-tested to ensure that there are no pin-point flaws in the coating, and the quality of the finish can be judged by the fact that there is a complete absence of colour fading that is a common feature of many inferior quality cylinders. Even the cylinder wall-mounting brackets are designed to ensure that there is no metal-to-metal or metal-to-wall scuffing.
TOTAL portables are guaranteed for five years, providing they are serviced from new in accordance with the appropriate regulatory standards. | |
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