Share this article:
Fire extinguishing systems can be fatal
CO2 and Inergen plants for fire extinguishing on ships have the same extinguishing principle, they displace the oxygen level in the environment i.e. that the fire cannot “breathe” and thereby suffocate the fire.
The natural atmosphere contains approx. 21 % oxygen. If you want to “stifle the fire” the oxygen level must be lowered to less than 15 % and the fire will within 30-45 seconds smothered.
Such extinguishers that displace the oxygen level can, in addition to stifle the fire, also suffocate the staff in the event that the plant is unintentionally triggered or a leak occurs.
As extra safety, it is important to use gas detectors – not only in the rooms where the fire extinguisher is located, but also in the adjacent rooms. A leak between the engine room and the control room can have disastrous consequences for the people working in the control room.
