AFFF foam fire extinguishers (and some water extinguishers with additives) contain fluorine compounds (PFAS) and are due to be discontinued by law due to their harmful effects on humans and the environment. Any AFFF foam extinguisher purchased today will soon be subject to further restrictions around their use. Safelincs has discontinued all AFFF foam extinguishers and is offering suitable AFFF foam-replacement extinguishers including the P50 Fluorine-Free Foam Service-Free Extinguishers.
To help support customers, all discontinued models shown below present a link to a suitable replacement. Most AFFF foam extinguishers in the past were installed in offices, public buildings, and homes. Our range of Class A rated water mist extinguishers are the perfect replacement for these locations. For small Class B risks, e.g. indoor storage of solvents, please select from our range of Class A and B-rated water mist extinguishers. All of our replacement models are suitable and certified for use on live electricity of up to 1000 Volts (at 1m safety distance). For large Class B risks, such as petrol tanks etc, please choose from our powder extinguisher range.
AFFF (Aqueous Film Forming Foams) Foam Fire Extinguishers are suitable to fight burning solids such as wood as well as liquid fires such as burning petrol. The foam has the ability to seep over the burning liquid or to soak into burning materials such as settees. The water content in the foam cools the fire whilst the foam itself starves the fire of oxygen. Foam fire extinguishers are ideal in offices and homes. Care must, however, be taken when cleaning up after a foam discharge or when disposing of foam extinguishers, as the AFFF foam is carcinogenic and can poison surface water, such as rivers. The extinguishers should always be passed on for responsible recycling. Usually, your extinguisher servicing engineer will remove your old extinguishers for a small charge.
While the main body of a AFFF foam fire extinguisher is usually red, the identification field will be cream coloured. Britannia's new fluorine-free foam alternative have maintained this cream colouration. This helps to identify the foam extinguisher. For further information on extinguisher industry standard colour coding, take a look at our fire extinguisher types poster .
Traditional AFFF foam extinguishers have been phased out by Safelincs and a ban on their manufacture and use is expected to be announced imminently. This is because the fluorine compounds (PFAS) contained in their fire-fighting foam are harmful to the environment, ecosystems and to human health. AFFF extinguishers have been popular for their ability to tackle a multitude of common fire risks. In many cases, AFFF foam extinguishers can now be substituted with Water-Mist extinguishers, or Britannia’s P50 Fluorine-Free Foam alternatives. For more information, read our blog about blog about AFFF discontinuation
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