Fire Suppressants for the protection of critical assets require special characteristics. Facilities that are critical in nature could be – Weather conditioning features, like specific temperature, and humidity range. Others are power backup storage where zero downtime of power outage is a requirement. Communication network data centers for telecommunication service providers, oil and gas, banking and finance companies. Laboratories for preservation of items at controlled weather conditions, such as those for preservation of perishable items. Treasuries such as money storage vaults and high value items are critical for protection of treasures. Archives and libraries require this form of special hazard fire suppressants to protect books and records. Museums cannot afford the loss of items, such as artifacts, and items of historical heritage.
Clean agent fire suppression systems are good options for the protection of such assets. Among these are FM 200 (Heptaflouropropane), NOVEC 1230 (Flouroketone), IG-100 (Nitrogen), IG01 (Argon), IG541 (Inert gas – Inergen), and IG55 (Inert gas – Argonite).
Benefits of clean agents fire extinguishing systems include the following:
- They do not leave residue after extinguishing fire, accounting for absence of dents that could damage sensitive equipment.
- They are environmentally friendly, meaning that they are “ecofriendly or green” in nature due to low global warming potential.
- They have low discharge time, due to the lightness or low specific gravity of these agents flow to the proximity of discharge resulting in low response time.
- These gasses or gaseous compositions are making them non-toxic to exposure of humans during discharge times.
- Clean agent gasses are colorless, which account for high visibility for emergency responders during fire incidents.
- These have atmospheric lifetime ranging from as low as 0.014 years up to 33 years.
- They are non-conductive to electricity, thereby reducing the risk of electric shock.
- This accounts for why clean agents have a good No-observed-adverse-effect level (NOAEL), and lowest-observed-adverse-effect level (LOAEL).
- Gaseous systems fire suppression is available as pre-engineered, or site constructed and assembled systems that are integrated with fire detection system and discharge control system for discharge of gas extinguishers.
The clean agent fire suppression systems are design, installed, tested and maintained in compliance to NFPA 2001 – Standard on Clean Agent Fire Extinguishing Systems, BS-EN 12094 – Fixed Firefighting Systems, and NFPA 72 – National Fire Alarm and Signaling Code, and BS-EN 54 Fire Detection and Fire Alarm Systems. These are helpful in hazard identification, maintenance, safety management, systems process automation and control information so as to reduce life and fire risks to As-Low-As-Reasonably-Practicable.
William Nwaogu, Technical Advisor
Safety Consultants & Solution Providers Limited
