Specialists in Fire Fighting Chemicals
July 2, 2018
Building Contractors, Professional Renovation, Refurbishment, Extensions & Conversions
We tend to view fire as just that, but there are many types and causes of fire, some more easy to deal with than others. Fires where chemicals are involved are notorious for their ferocity and difficulty to extinguish. One kind of fire that is treated with extreme care is the petrochemical fire, which can prove challenging to even the most experienced fire fighters. These fires may be fuelled by a concoction of liquids, gases and other materials common to chemical plants, terminals, refineries and bulk storage facilities. This situation presents many different kinds of hazards which require specialist training and resources.
All response teams that have petrochemical facilities in their districts need to have extensive knowledge and training due to the nature and potential danger of these emergencies. Luckily most petrochemical plants have advanced systems in place for dealing with these scenarios. Of course this does not stop incidents from happening, with fires starting in storage tanks, heat exchangers, pumps and furnaces.
Response teams have to approach this type of fire differently to most others, as not only are there possibly a vast variation of chemicals to worry about, quantities can range from hundreds to millions of gallons. The layout of the facility can make negotiating the fire extremely challenging with problems accessing the building due to narrow, awkward roadways. There are also a great many obstructions such as above ground and ground level pipes and other structures, and equipment elements are typically positioned in close proximity to each other.
These facilities may be in operation 24/7, and may not even be manned regularly, or are simply staffed when maintenance is being carried out. They could actually be monitored digitally at a control centre that is thousands of miles away.
Specialists in fire fighting technologies ABC MacIntosh supply high performance fire fighting chemicals to fire extinguisher manufacturers, fire extinguisher servicing companies and fire brigades throughout Europe. Find out more about the different categories of fire, and what ABC offer on their website.