03/07/2025
The Facts About Foam in Portable Fire Extinguishers (November 2024)
The Facts About Foam in Portable Fire Extinguishers (November 2024)
We are receiving enquiries on almost a daily basis, asking for the current situation regarding the use and end of life disposal of aqueous film forming foam (AFFF) fire extinguishers. So here for clarification are the facts.
Current situation
In January 2022 the ambiguous guidance made in “Compliance Advice for PFOA in Class B Firefighting Foams” prepared by the Environment Agency is the cause for the confusion, implying that all AFFF has to be removed from service by 4th July 2025. This directive is actually aimed at fire-fighting foams containing PFOS, PFOA and PFHxS, all of which are found in fixed firefighting systems, and in some fire brigade foams. Our understanding from discussion with several extinguisher manufacturers, is that extinguishers manufactured from 2015/16 have since then been filled with AFFF that exclude these chemicals, therefore compliant extinguisher AFFF can continue to be used after the 4th of July 2025 deadline. The current concern is the PFHxA is used in extinguisher AFFF which DEFRA and the HSE together have consulted with stakeholders (https://consultations.hse.gov.uk/crd-reach/pfas-fire-fighting-foams) to shortly decide the phase out date for extinguisher AFFF. This is not expected to be before 2030, thus giving consumers the full 5-years until due extended service and replacement.
What’s the short-term solution?
We recommend that fire extinguisher installers obtain the safety data sheet from their supplier for the AFFF extinguishers they have sold in the last 5 years, so that they can put consumers’ minds at rest when challenged. We suggest a gentle phase out begins whereby AFFF extinguishers are removed from service as they become due for extended service (5-year discharge testing) which spreads the cost for consumers over several years. The redundant foam extinguishers should then be responsibly disposed of, which must include incineration of the AFFF, so as this is very specialised, and costs will naturally increase as demand starts to exceed processing capacity. What we need to avoid is a glut of AFFF hitting the incineration processors who simply will not be able to keep up with demand. We have already had this problem occur earlier in 2024 when the largest extinguisher recycling company in the UK had to temporarily close its doors to taking in foam extinguishers, allowing time to clear down their stocks.
But what to recommend replacing AFFF extinguishers with?
Class A fire coverage is all that is needed in the majority of cases where AFFF extinguishers have been installed. Foam extinguishers became popular in the 1980’s not for their class B fire rating, but because they were more compact and lighter than then equivalently rated, heavy and cumbersome 9ltr water extinguishers. 6ltr water spray/mist extinguishers now provide 13A and in some cases 21A ratings with no environmental consequences during use or at end-of-life disposal. In the rare situations where a contained class B fire risk exists, non-fluorinated foam extinguishers are available from several distributors.
Are other extinguishing agents affected?
The original “environmentally friendly” extinguishers manufactured during the last decade do not comply, neither does wet chemical and we suspect, many of the “water with additive” extinguishers. The best advice is to approach your extinguisher supplier for the safety and chemical composition data sheet to be certain.
Where do I obtain further information?
Our colleagues at the Fire Industry Association have already prepared (in September 2024) an updated Guidance document (https://www.fia.uk.com/news/fia-guidance-on-pfas-in-firefighting-foams-restrictions-update-september-2024.html) which provides clear and logical instructions. If you are storing and handling quantities of redundant AFFF extinguishers, you need to work to the recently updated Regulatory Position Statement (RPS) 132 from the Environment Agency (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/end-of-life-fire-extinguishers-re-use-and-dismantling) which outlines the restrictions for trade extinguisher storage, disposal and licensing requirements. Substantial fines can be expected for non-compliance, especially in the case of releases directly into the environment.
Environment Agency regulatory position on when you can store and treat waste fire extinguishers before metal recovery.
