You are right nearlythere- but there is another angle on this.
What equipment and expertise to the average fire brigade to deal with specialist fires? They do usually argue that if the employer creates a special risk then it is down to the employer to manage that risk which includes provision of specialist equipment. We see this at major chemical plants- who are rightly expected to provide foam stockes and equipment, in the mines, in the nuclear industry. Yes the staff expected to use this equipment must have suitable and sufficient training.
Heres an example- one of my clients is a major metal recycler. They deal with reactive metals - titanium, magnesium ets sometimes finely subdivided, and prone to spontaneous ignition. Big bad fires especially if metals are mixed!!! Just before they called me in they had one fire and were singularly ill prepared for it. The fire involved a drum of titanium turnings amongst other drums - value £18k per tonne. They called in the local brigade who put water jets on the fire and had to retreat hastily. They have now changed their mode of storage, are much more careful over stock control and segregation, have provided ammerex class D extinguishers and given staff training in how to use them. If they have another fire is it likely that the brigade will have ever encountered this type of extinguisher and know how to use it? Not in my day they wouldn't.
