Number

241-EN

Section

General Section

Use

Abstract

Fire-Trainers are crucial for education and continuous training of fire-fighters and rescue personnel. Novel types utilizing clean-burn fuels as propane, butane and natural gas alleviate a number of concerns regarding environment and personnel safety. A handful of companies worldwide have the expertise to construct this type of training rigs. Each training facility is custom built according to customer specifications.

Substituted substances

Alternative Substances

Reliability of information

Evidence of implementation: there is evidence that the solution was implemented and in use at time of publication
Evidence of assessment: there is evidence of an official (positive) assessment of the substitution

Reason substitution

CMR
neurotoxicant
physical hazards

Hazard Assessment

Substance to be substituted: Kerosene is not listed in the SUBSPORTplus Database. Alternative substances: Propane is not listed in the SUBSPORTplus Database. Butane and natural gas are not listed in the SUBSPORTplus Database and have no harmonised classification according to Annex VI of Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008 (CLP Regulation). Kerosene / Jet fuelis not directly listed in the SDSC database, though gasoline is. Gasoline has a flash point of app. 38°C whereas Jet fuel have a flash point between 38-55°C depending on formula.

Description of Substitution

Fire-Trainer systems are crucial for education and continuous training of fire-fighters and rescue personnel. The major types of fire-trainer systems are domestic and service buildings, aircrafts, industrial plants, maritime (ships, oilrigs) and military facilities. Most models are built in 1:1 scale or as 1:1 parts of critical areas of facilities/buildings, designs are made to match a wide variety of fire types and scenarios. Mobile fire trainers are also available in for a number of training purposes. The development of advanced software, sensor technology and, most crucial, process power have made it possible to construct state-of the art training equipment where liquefied gas (LPG, LNG, LBG) is used instead of kerosene, oil/tar and wood. Major concerns alleviated by using gas have on one hand been environmental and on the other hand about personnel safety. Utilizing fuels as LPG, LNG and LBG supplied via advanced piping systems and nozzles/jets gives a better controlled and a significantly cleaner burn. The ability to stop a scenario within seconds has significantly heightened the safety level, especially when introducing new students to demanding scenarios. You can change the scenario during the course of the exercise and even introduce “surprise attacks” without compromising personnel safety. Gas fuelled fire training rigs thus are the environmentally friendliest on the market since the pollution impact air, soil and water is minimal. The low level of soot production allows for training close to domestic areas and in proximity of sensitive facilities as airports and military bases. To sum it up! - The fuel is clean burning propane, natural gas or butane. - Airborne pollution of surroundings and exposure of personnel are minimized since production of soot and other combustion products are kept at a very low level. From an environmental and OHS point-of-view, a minimum of contamination with and exposure to combustion products is desirable. - The fuel does not contaminate firefighting run-off water, so if the scenario only involves water, no post-run off cleaning is necessary. - Fire scenarios are programmable and storable, it is possible to just push the stop button and start over and there is very limited clean-up between scenarios. Many more students can be trained in much less time with a significantly steeper learning curve, and less risk for training related injuries.

Case/substitution evaluation

Gas fuelled simulators are often chosen with personnel safety and environmental concerns in mind. Installation costs are somewhat higher compared to a kerosene fuelled rig, but better longevity and slightly lower fuel expenses make up for this in the equipment’s expected life time. No cleaning of run-off water is necessary if pure water or "green" training foam is used.

State of implementation

Full capacity

Availability ofAlternative

On the market.

Producer/Provider

www.draeger.com

Type of information supplier

Producer / distributor
User

Contact

https://www.draeger.com/da_dk/Home

Further information

Video demo on how training with a LPG fuelled air craft rig is carried out.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GYYrHvTLSIg&feature=relmfu Producer or supplier: www.draeger.com

Publication source: author, company, institute, year

The case is based on material gathered for a technical report on the use of LPG fueled Aircraft Fire Trainers in arctic regions.

Publication source

Type of publication and availability

The case is based on material gathered for a technical report on the use of LPG fueled Aircraft Fire Trainers in arctic regions.

Date, reviewed

November 26, 2021