Introducing the FD60 Fire Door and its Specifications
We’ve written a lot of material about fires and fire doors. What we’ve never covered is how fires are classified when it comes to fire extinguishers, by which we mean – you have to be very careful how you attempt to put a fire out as not all materials work on all types of fire. In fact, some materials may make things even worse, as we’ll see below.
This is because there is not a universal fire-extinguishing agent. Under British Standard EN-2 (Classification of Fires), fires have been divided into broad classifications for extinguishing purposes. This classification will assist in selecting the most effective fire-extinguishing agent to be used, on the most appropriate type of fire and burning materials
| TYPE OF FIRE | CLASSIFICATION OF FIRES |
| Wood, furnishings etc. | CLASS A:
All solid materials, usually organic in origin (i.e. containing compounds of carbon) and generally produce glowing embers – i.e. wood, textiles, curtains furniture and plastics. |
| Flammable liquids and solids | CLASS B:
All flammable liquids and solids, which can be sub-divided into:
Notes: Hydrophilic = having an affinity with water Miscible = ‘capable of being mixed’ Ordinary foams are designed to work on non-polar flammable liquids such as petrol, but may break down too quickly in polar liquids such as alcohol or glycol. Facilities that handle large amounts of flammable polar liquids use specialised “alcohol resistant foam” instead. |
| Fires involving gases |
CLASS C: Class ‘C’ fires involve Natural Mains Gas, Liquid Petroleum Gases (LPG) such as Butane & Propane etc. This class includes Medical or Industrial gases. |
| Fires Involving Metals | CLASS D:
Class ‘D’ fires involving metals or powdered metals etc (where water is generally ineffective and / or dangerous). Specialist Dry Powders – are produced for certain Metal fires particularly those involving alkali metals such as Sodium & Potassium. These dry powders extinguish metal fires by fusing the powder to form a crust, which excludes oxygen from the surface of the molten metal. A specific agent is added to prevent the powder from sinking into the surface of the molten metals. Some Class D extinguishing agents include finely granulated sodium chloride, copper and graphite applied by an extinguisher, shaker, scoop or shovel. M28 type – 9Kg dry powder fire extinguisher these extinguishing agents are suitable for sodium, potassium, magnesium, titanium, aluminium, and most other metal fires. This particular fire extinguisher is not suitable for fire involving Lithium. Normally used with a low velocity discharge applicator. L2 type – 9Kg dry powder fire extinguisher is suitable for metal fires involving Lithium. Normally used with a low velocity discharge applicator. |
| Electrical | ELECTRICAL:
Electrical fires are not considered to constitute a fire class on their own, as electricity is a source of ignition that will feed the fire until removed. When the electrical supply has been isolated, the fire can be treated (generally) as ‘Class A’ for extinguishing purposes. However, you should always isolate the supply before fighting the fire; if this is not possible then a non-electrical conducting extinguishing agent is to be used regardless of the power status, on all occasions.
Warning Note – some electrical equipment can store in capacitors, lethal voltages even if their power supply has been isolated. Always use extinguishers containing a non-electrical conducting extinguishing agent specifically designed for use on electrical equipment such as Carbon Dioxide (CO2) or Dry Powder. |
| High Temperature Cooking Oils | CLASS F:
New class specifically dealing with high temperature (³ 360°C) cooking oils used in large industrial catering kitchens, restaurants and takeaway establishments’ etc. Cooking oil fires, because of their high auto-ignition temperatures, are difficult to extinguish. Conventional extinguishers are not effective for cooking oil fires, as they do not cool sufficiently or may even cause flash back, thereby putting the operator at risk. These extinguishers contain a specially formulated wet chemical which, when applied to the burning liquid, cools and emulsifies the oil, extinguishing the flame, sealing the surface and preventing re-ignition. |
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Date Last Amended: Jan 15 1. Issued by – Fire Safety Manager, UCL Estates, Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT – This guide is to be regarded as a general statement of UCL local requirements, information or guidance only & supplements relevant British Standards or Manufacturers Instructions etc.
UCL Fire Technical Note No: 024
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We’re not fire extinguisher experts, but we hope that the above is useful information for you. Anything we can do to educate and instruct on the subject of fire safety is our mission.
Our specialism is of course in the provision of fire doors, such as the FD60, which will prevent the spread of fire for a specified period of time when closed and allow people to evacuate safely when open.
Talk to the experts
You can see more on our company and the fire doors we offer and if you’d like to contact us with any queries you may have, see our contact us page or call 020 3199 5840 and we will respond as quickly as possible. We look forward to helping you.
