B.S 5306-8-12

[Chris Allis]

Just pondering this - reading through the new B.S 5306-8 -12 it mentions in 8.4.1 - If a person specially trained is not at the scene of the incident, then the only safe method of extinguishing such fires is to cut off the flow of fuel to the leak....

I am a bit concerned as to what is meant by specially trained? Is it the general information given on fire training courses in the use of dry powder extinguishers or is there something more persons require training on?

Your thoughts will be appreciated.

[lancsfirepro]

Your regular fire awareness course should cover the use of powder extinguishers, however; it won't go into much more detail about fires involving gases other than, do not tackle them with an extinguisher as you may create an explosion risk, leave the area and call the fire service.  Fires involving gases are much more involved than class A & B fires and require careful consideration.  For example, you have a gas pipe that receives damage and for whatever reason the escaping gas is ignited... you go and find a powder extinguisher and set about knocking the flame off the escaping gas.  Okay so you now have a gas leak - are you in a confined space?  Have you now created an explosion risk? Do I leave the door open or closed?  What sort of gas is it?  Where is the gas likely to go and what is the likely outcome?  Is the escaping gas going to be re-ignited by a hot surface?  There might not normally be a hot surface but the flame may have heated a surface sufficiently that it may cause an explosion if there's a build up of gas.  Was the flame directed at something that could be potentially dangerous; like an acetylene bottle.  There's a lot to consider and it's a bit too involved to be properly covered in a regular fire awareness course.

[Chris Allis]

Thanks lancsfirepro,
Does this mean therefore that any client which has dry powder extinguishers will have to undergo specialist training to a necessary standard for the risks in their workplace?

[lancsfirepro]

No it doesn't mean that.  The decision for what level of fire training is required should be identified by the fire risk assessment.
Flick back a few pages in BS5306-8 to 5.4.3 and you will see that powder extinguishers are no longer recommended for use indoors.  In an ideal world you shouldn't really be coming across too many situations where a powder extinguisher has been installed specifically and purely for a class C risk.  You will find powders here and there but they will have been specified for other fire risks.
If the fire risk assessment identifies a specific class c risk that for one reason or another needs to be protected with a powder extinguisher then that's when you would ideally like to be able to demonstrate that the training given has covered class c fire risks in sufficient detail.

[AnthonyB]

This is the sort of training for use of powder on class C fires:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EX_8ii-ygJE

What the BS seems to be saying between the lines is that you shouldn't provide cover for class C risks in normal environments and to follow what 99% of non specialist extinguisher training courses and material say for gas fires which is to shut off the supply* or leave it to the fire brigade.

So most buildings don't need powder in boiler rooms and the like, whereas if you own a LPG cylinder distribution business you may need to consider advanced training, and hose reels as well as powder extinguishers.

In practice where there is a current Powder extinguisher because an area has a Class C risk in a normal non specialist environment we are advising they are changed for CO2 as we don't want staff tackling the gas fire and it is not feasible/risk appropriate to provide the specialist hands on training for a gas fire.

So boiler rooms, gas valve rooms, areas using small amounts of LPG and similar don't need powder any more (in my opinion).

* which means there is no longer a Class C fire so you don't need powder.

[Chris Allis]

Thanks Guys,

This was my initial thought when I first read the new B.S, I guess that DP exts are being helped to be removed to outside envionments where as Anthony says a higher risk area should be protected and as a higher risk = a higherlevel  or specialist training is required.

I think Ive got it!

Thanks for your input