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Halon Gas Fire Extinguishers

Halon, short for Halogenated Hydrocarbon is a type of fire extinguishing medium. There are in fact four different types of Halons that can be used to extinguish fires. The most commonly used are Halon 1211, known as BCF (short for Bromochlorodifl uoromethane) and Halon 1301, known as BTM (short for bromotrifluoromethane). Halon 1211 is used in portable extinguishers, and Halon 1301 has been used for fixed fi re suppression systems since the 1950s. Due to it’s ozone depleting properties, it is being phased out of use.

How good is Halon?

Halons are vapourising liquids which are clean, leave no mess, do not conduct electricity and are very effective at extinguishing a fire.

The environmental issue

Unfortunately, Halons used in fire fighting equipment have the highest ozone-depleting potential of any chemicals in common use. 150 countries agreed in the Montreal Protocol to control the use of all ozone depleting chemicals and Halon was one of the first to be banned.

The countdown has begun

31 December 2002 was the last day that existing Halon systems may be recharged with Halon. So after this date, if the system discharges it is effectively useless. As there is currently no drop-in replacement, businesses may find that the equipment the system was protecting is vulnerable to the risk of fire until a new system can be purchased and installed.

After 31 December 2003, all Halon systems must have been decommissioned and the Halon itself must have been disposed of by an approved contractor.

The mandatory decommissioning of Halons

Despite the impending deadline dates, businesses remain very ignorant of their responsibilities for the Halon they have on their premises under the EC Regulation 2037/2000. By the very nature of fi xed fi re suppression systems, they are usually covering high value assets, and insurance companies are demanding that the systems are replaced, otherwise the very area they have been designed to protect may not be covered by their insurance policy.

The end of the road for Halon

As a result of Montreal, the following steps were taken to eliminate Halon from common use:

31st December 1993

The manufacture of Halon is banned. Recycled Halon can be used to recharge systems but all Halon being recycled needs to be tracked to prove its origins. Halon retains some commercial value as recycled Halon is a commodity in demand. 1999 European Regulation Ec/5748 Formulated a timetable to phase out the use of Halon altogether and to govern the collection and destruction of both Halon 1301 (typically used in fixed systems) and 1211 (found in hand held extinguishers).

31st December 2002

The last day that existing Halon systems may be recharged with recycled or reclaimed Halon. After this date, if a Halon suppression system discharges it is effectively useless. The equipment it is designed to protect will be vulnerable until a new system can be purchased, installed and commissioned.

31st December 2003

By this date all existing Halon systems must have been decommissioned and the Halon itself must have been disposed of by an approved contractor. Halon portable extinguishers must also be taken out of service by this date. Although Halon systems are still permitted in certain specialist applications (mainly military) the export of Halon is severely restricted. Halon therefore now has a negative value, requiring certified disposal.

What you should do now

If you have a Halon system or portable Halon fire extinguishers in your premises, you should act now to dispose of it.

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