P50 Fire Extinguishers

Q.

Will the P50 extinguishers be suitable in offices with electrical equipment? Or do I still need traditional CO2 extinguishers?

A.

The P50 foam extinguishers are perfect for office environments and are well suited for fighting electrical fires (upto the normal voltage in offices which is 240V). They have been tested with 35000V and declared safe by the BSI for use with up to 1000V! Usually, one P50 foam will replace one existing water/foam units plus one CO2 unit, as they are commonly found in offices. One of the reasons why foams are good on electrical fires is that electrical fires often involve liquefying plastics and other plastics/rubbers for which foams are perfect. The only exception are large server cabinets and computer centres which require specialist fire fighting equipment.

Q.

What happens after I place the order?

A.

We will confirm a date with you for the visit by our certified engineer. The cost for this visit and all the work the engineer does is included in the price you paid for the extinguishers. The engineer will usually bring the extinguishers with him (if not we will send the extinguishers up front). First of all the engineer will check that the extinguisher is adequate for the building and the use. He/she will then install the extinguisher and train you in the simple yearly visual inspection of the extinguisher. You will then receive a certificate to confirm the training and the suitability of the extinguishers installed. You also receive a form to be filled in by you that needs to be sent to your insurance company to inform them about the new maintenance regime. After that all you have to do is carry on with your normal visual inspection required for any extinguishers and the yearly 3 step visual inspection which needs to be recorded in your fire safety logbook. No other activity is required for the next ten years.

Q.

Is a magnet provided with the extinguisher?

A.

Yes, when the engineer installs the extinguisher and gives the training on the yearly service he will leave a magnet with each customer.

Q.

My building insurance states that the extinguishers installed need to be checked yearly by a competent person. Have the self-maintenance extinguishers been passed by insurance companies?

A.

All major insurances have approved P50 fire extinguishers. The relevant sections in the extinguisher servicing standard BS5306-3:2009 state that a competent person needs to maintain all extinguishers and that such a competent person is primarily defined as to have the ability to carry out the procedures as defined by the manufacturer. The manufacturer Britannia Fire clearly states that only a visual inspection is required. When you purchase the Britannia extinguishers from us our engineers will install the extinguishers free of charge and train you how to carry out the yearly inspection. They also ensure that you are suitably covered in accordance to the relevant British Standards.The engineers will also issue you an installation certificate. There is also a video that demonstrates the visual inspection on the website.