Saving made simple: How composite extinguishers are replacing metal worldwide with Britannia Fire
Iain Hoey
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Andy Spence, Joint Managing Director at Britannia Fire, explains how composite fire extinguishers are changing the face of fire suppression across the globe
When Britannia Fire launched its very first P50 composite fire extinguisher from our Norfolk factory 15 years ago, we knew we had created a product that could change the direction of the entire market.
Since then, with demand growing, we have ceased our metal fire extinguisher production and re-focussed our entire business on composite models.
Composite fire extinguishers are made from a unique combination of durable plastic and aramid fibres.
As a result, they are strong, lightweight and don’t corrode.
It is now widely accepted that they are superior to traditional metal versions in that they are easier to maintain, longer-lasting and better for the environment.
Crucially, composite models don’t need an annual service, just a simple visual check by a responsible member of staff and a refurbishment after 10 years.
Today, we have a raft of customers undergoing their first refurbishments, with sales continuing to outstrip supply.
Global demand is also growing, particularly across Europe and the Middle East.
Partnerships with key distributors like fire safety company Prymos in Germany and Concorde Technical, part of the Concorde-Corodex Group in UAE, have introduced P50s to these important markets and are helping to facilitate a global shift away from metal fire extinguishers to composite versions.
So why are customers making the switch? They are principally driven by three types of savings: cost-savings due to vastly reduced servicing needs and number of units required; time-savings thanks to simpler checks and maintenance; and finally significant carbon-savings to help meet sustainability targets.
An end to costly servicing
Across the world, the fire extinguisher market is dominated by metal products manufactured cheaply in China.
The problem with metal is that the casing can rust and seals can degrade, causing leaks or faults.
As a result, for safety reasons, annual servicing has been standard practice for many years.
Traditionally, a qualified engineer would need to open the fire extinguishers every year and test the lining, seals and pressure.
This frequent servicing comes at a significant cost and inconvenience to the customer, but is considered essential for metal extinguishers.
Composite designs are revolutionary in that they don’t corrode, so have totally changed previous servicing timescales.
P50s just need an annual visual check carried out by a competent member of staff.
They have a life-span of 20 years and only need a full service and refurbishment once during this time, after 10 years.
Anglian Water has been using P50s for the last decade.
Many of its extinguishers are located in isolated plants and hard to reach sites, which made annual servicing difficult before they made the switch, as Michelle Ketley explained at the time: “It was a logistical nightmare for us to bring them in, get them serviced and then get them back out to remote sites, whilst all the time leaving us vulnerable to fire whilst they were away from site.
“It has been a massive cost and time saving for Anglian Water.”
Improved site security
The logistical difficulties of annual servicing become even more complex in industries where fire extinguisher locations require security clearance or safety inductions for service crews.
Britannia Fire’s distributor in UAE, Concorde Technical, supplies P50s to clients in the oil and gas industries, where fire points can be remote and open to the elements and site safety and security is paramount.
Senior Product Specialist at Concorde Technical, Ahmad Sabha, comments: “Britannia Fire’s P50 composite extinguisher range offers exceptional durability in harsh environments, thanks to its highly corrosion-resistant design.
“Unlike traditional steel extinguishers that often require frequent replacements due to corrosion, the P50 range significantly reduces maintenance costs, saving clients from the need for repetitive replacements.”
NATS, the UK’s leading provider of air traffic control services has over 100 operational sites across the country, housing specialist radar, navigation and communication equipment to monitor and control air traffic in the UK.
Stuart Lishman, Facilities Manager Remote Sites at NATS explains why they opted for the P50: “Safety is our top priority across all of our UK sites.
“Many are situated in remote locations so it’s vital we ensure that efficient and dependable fire safety operations are in place 24/7, 365 days a year.
“Working with Britannia, we adopted their new P50 fire extinguishers which are far more dependable than traditional steel extinguishers, reducing maintenance and enabling checks as part of routine site inspections.”
Many are situated in remote locations so it’s vital we ensure that efficient and dependable fire safety operations are in place 24/7, 365 days a year.
Stuart Lishman
Fewer extinguishers
As well as saving on servicing costs, P50s have the added benefit that they are multi-purpose.
Both the water mist and fluorine-free foam versions are suitable for Class A (carbonaceous) and electrical fires up to 1000V, with the P50 ECO foam additionally suitable for Class B (flammable liquids) and Class F (fats/oils) fires.
Crucially, this means that one or the other should suffice in most locations and that CO2 extinguishers for suppressing electrical or class B fires, are often no longer required at all.
Many of our new customers can reduce the number of extinguishers they need by half, saving costs.
A single fire extinguisher at each fire point also makes it far easier to use confidently in the event of a fire.
Precious time in an emergency can be wasted when faced with a choice.
The University of Brighton has a community of 2500 staff and 20,000 students, many of whom live on site, so fire safety is a top priority.
Fire Safety Manager, Nick Greenwood, comments: “The P50 is suitable for a multitude of fires, including electrical fires, meaning we only needed one at every fire point rather than two.
This streamlined things considerably and now makes it easier for the end user, who can simply point and shoot!
“In addition, the cost savings were huge.
“We cut the number of fire extinguishers needed by half and have not had to fork out for expensive third-party servicing over the last 10 years, saving over £200,000.”
London’s Heathrow Airport is another customer that has benefitted from replacing its multiple sets of two extinguishers with single P50 Foam multi-purpose units.
This, along with reduced servicing costs, has saved the airport more than £1m.
Adam Watson, Terminal 5 Asset Manager says: “The traditional setup of a foam/CO2 dual extinguisher point, requires the user to make the correct selection of extinguisher type in the event of fire.
“The P50 is a single point extinguisher covering both A & B type fires.
“This eliminates the need for a human decision and ensures only the correct extinguisher can be selected; the P50.
“This reduces safety risk and increases our ability to get everyone home safe.”
A sustainable solution
Finally, over and above the compelling cost, time and convenience factors, composite fire extinguishers are generally much kinder to the environment.
They have a 20 year life-span, are easy to recycle and require less energy to produce.
Our P50 production process emits 22% less carbon than metal alternatives and is partially powered by solar energy.
Customers across the world are striving to meet sustainability targets and are keen to reduce their impact on the environment, as Ahmad Sabha confirms in UAE: “The resilience of the P50 aligns with sustainability goals, supporting our clients in their efforts towards achieving net zero carbon emissions by providing a long-lasting, eco-friendly fire safety solution.”
Our P50 production process emits 22% less carbon than metal alternatives and is partially powered by solar energy.
Andy Spence
Crucially, our entire P50 range is also free from harmful PFAS chemicals, which are typically found in traditional foam extinguishers.
These ‘forever chemicals’ don’t break down in the environment and can be toxic.
Europe has placed a ban on firefighting foams containing PFAS, due to come into force in 2030, and the UK is expected to follow suit in the coming months.
These sustainability credentials were a key consideration for the University of Brighton, as Nick Greenwood comments: “Our previous fire extinguishers were non-recyclable, inferior imports from abroad that required costly servicing.
“Sustainability is one of the University’s core values so was a top consideration when it came to replacing them in 2015.
“Ten years on, it is now time to refurbish our P50 extinguishers.
“With the impending PFAS ban, we have decided to get ahead of the game and switch to the P50-ECO, which is free from PFAS or ‘forever’ chemicals.
“This will help us further minimise our environmental impact.”
We’re proud to have introduced a product that delivers far-reaching benefits beyond just cost savings.
The industry must evolve and embrace innovations like this.
We’ve proved its possible to provide affordable, high-quality fire safety with minimal disruption to customers, while protecting the environment.
