Fire Extinguisher stand re-design

[dgreen3]

Hi, i'm a university student studying product design. For my major project I am designing a fire point system aiming to reduce fear and intimidation to people in the need for using fire extinguishers in a public or working environment. By changing the experience and the way people think and feel in that situation I'm aiming to provide confidence through the design.

By fire point system I mean an all-in-one wall stand which will consist of extinguishers, break glass call point, fire alarm and improved signage.

Is there usually the same amount of extinguishers as fire alarms and call points in a building?

Ive found through observation that these products are usually located near each other and on fire escape routes, is this correct?

Do you think this would be viable? In terms of maintenance and by buying all in one go?

For my model I was going to include a CO2 and a foam extinguisher as I found this was the most common combination. However since I have been researching iv'e come across the water mist extinguisher which can fight nearly all of the fire types, but this was on average £100 in comparison to the co2 and foam which combined came to £60. So, which is more cost efficient?

When companies buy fire equipment does cost come into mind? Would they usually buy the cheapest option? I'm trying to make this system viable and affordable.

Thanks for your help, Dan

[green-foam]

This is as my signature says, just my opinion.

You have a "conflict of interests" before you start.

Due to the "specialised knowledge" required to service each item I can not see it being viable to have a combined unit, that said there are available "stand alone units" such as the one shown below.

These are suitable for building sites, but not for buildings as the alarms are not interconnected and there is no way to identify where the unit actually is. (from a central location)

To address your point of "fear and intimidation" I would suggest that you could post what ever signs you like, it will not work, if anything cause more confusion.

I would suggest that the only real way to remove fear and intimidation in this case is training in how to use fire extinguishers.

As for spending and cost, put yourself in the buyers shoes, would you spend money on something you don't have to even if the other product is better and costs more?

The fire safety person would want the better option, but there has to be a compromise.

[dgreen3]

Thanks for your response, ok, whats your opinion of water mist fire extinguishers? For example: would it be better to have one water mist extinguisher or both co2 and foam extinguisher's?

[Safelincs]

Hi Dgreen3

Considering the downsides of CO2 extinguishers (CO2 are tempting to play with, as they make a great noise and leave no deposit) and the difficulty of using them effectively on a 'normal' fire, I would recommend either foams or dry water mist, as long as you select foams that have undergone the dielectric test.

Harry

[dgreen3]

Ok thanks Harry,

am I correct in saying that dry water mist extinguishers can be used to fight most fire types? Would you say dry mist extinguishers are popular even though they are slightly more expensive? Because I have never seen them around but is this because they're relatively new on the market?

Thanks for your help, Dan

[Safelincs]

Hi Dan

Yes, dry water mist extinguishers can be used on most fire types and as they contain de-ionised water and the jet creates microscopic particles rather than a water jet, they are also safe on electrical equipment. They are slightly more expensive and have only been around for 1-2 years, so you will only gradually see them around. There are a few case studies though.

Harry