Boat Fire Extinguisher Tips

Tips: A quick guide to Boat Fire Fighting and Boat Fire Extinguishers

Boats with a fire onboard should not be considered dangerous. There is little escape space, and it may prove difficult to get out. GRP boats that are floating above the waterline are common.

Recently, an underwriter called me to inquire about a boat fire involving a GRP boat attached on a trailer. I said that the boat would have been a large lump of plastic with metal supports by time the fire brigade arrived. Even if they arrived within minutes of the fire burning, it was still a substantial amount of plastic. Later that day, he called to confirm that he had taken photos of the boat and that I was correct.

It is the surveyor's responsibility to check the portable boat fire extinguisher and recommend replacement/servicing as necessary as part and parcel of the ship's husbandry. Service for small extinguishers is often cheaper than replacement.

Fixed systems in boat engine rooms, etc. The system should be inspected by a fire expert. It is not easy to find, but a portable fire extinguisher can be date. This should be noted and inspected. Many modern appliances have their main case and dispersal heads dated.

Types of fires

Class A: Fires that burn wood, paper, trash or other combustible materials as fuel sources.

Class B: Fires that burn flammable or explosive liquids for their fuel source.

Class C: Reasons of these fire are electrical equipment

Class D: Fires that burn certain ignitable metals as fuel.

To identify the type fire, extinguishers used to have a colour coded body. The current UK standard requires that extinguishers with red bodies be marked with a colorbanding (often the label).

Water RED

Powder BLUE

Foam YELLOW

CO2 BLACK

Ratings for Fire Extinguishers

The rating of a fire extinguisher is created by combining the letters that indicate the type of fire and its firefighting abilities. A rating of 1 will be given to a fire extinguisher that can only deal with one type of fire. 21A.

A rating will indicate whether an extinguisher can handle more than one type of fire. 5A/34B, 13A/113B. They can also be marked with the product's volume or weight. Some licensing authorities require that extinguishers are tested according to British Standard BS EN 3 or similar bodies like LPCB, BAFE, AFNOR, APRAGAZ BECERT.

Fire group suitability: Advantages and disadvantages

Water rating A

• Cheap
• Cooling properties
• Non-hazardous
• Never use electric, liquid, or gas fires.

Many commercial vessels will include a fire pump, powered or manual.

Dry Powder - Usually A &B rating, but sometimes C & D also

• Multifunctional
• It's messy
• Corrosive
• Rest
• Wind can decrease effectiveness
• Breathing problems can happen
• The powder used will determine the outcome. There are three choices: B&C or D only. These powders are most often found onboard vessels with an A or b rating.

Firefighting Power

• The rating is proportional to your power. It doesn't matter how big you are!
• A 1kg dry powder general purpose extinguisher will last for eight seconds.

Foam

• Cooling properties
• Can be used as a heat barrier
• Extinguishers with larger sizes are more effective
• Electric fires are not recommended.
• Sometimes A, sometimes B, the suitability and capabilities of different manufacturers may vary.

CO2

• It doesn't leave any residue and does not cause damage.
• Can be used with electric fires that are live
• Cold injuries can result from incorrect use
• In open areas, disperses quickly
• You can also light small class B fires.
• The problem is the amount of material that is required.

Halon

Because they can extinguish many fires, and work well on boats, they were widely used. Halon, however, has ozone-depleting qualities so it was banned at the close of 2003.

The phase-out period lasted between 10 and 15 year. Still exist Halon extinguishers. It is important to replace any Halon extinguishers you have. You must dispose of the Halon extinguisher through a designated channel.

Fire extinguishers as old as 6-12 months were not uncommon in engine rooms. They were horizontally discharged so they were ineffective.

FE36 & FM200

FE-3 replaces Halon1211 in portable extinguishers. It performs and works as well as Halon1211, but has lower toxicity and zero depletion of ozone.

Aerosol Suppression Systems

To extinguish aerosol fire extinguishers, stable aerosol-forming solid chemicals are used. The solid compound is made from Potassium Salts and expands quickly to become a high-efficacious, highly effective fire extinguishing agent.

It does not remove heat or oxygen from the flames. It does not inhibit the chemical reaction. Aerosol generators can be used safely and are environmentally friendly. They don't require pipes or high pressure cylinders.

Dry Water Mist Technology

With just one litre of water, they can make more than 22 million droplets. Droplets as small and as fine as 25 microns can be created. This produces a fine mist with exceptional firefighting capabilities. The mist is completely invisible and does not cause collateral damage.

These fire extinguishers are capable of dealing with almost all types of common fire, including those classified A, B, and C. Water mist has the cooling properties of water and forms a "mist curtains", which cuts off oxygen supply. The droplets are small enough to not react to liquids, and can be used for fires of classes B or F.