25 Apr BTI Nº 244

STANDARDS AND CRITERIA UNIT

In recent months, there appears to have been a surge in news about fires, or perhaps the media is simply paying much more attention to them. Undoubtedly, the tragic fire in Valencia last March has significantly heightened society’s awareness of fire protection in private homes and residential buildings. Fire doesn’t just affect forests or industrial warehouses.

Smoke detectors in apartments, home fire extinguishers and other fire suppression devices for kitchens, which are widely used in other European countries, either due to regulations or awareness, are set to become even more integral to our daily lives. This naturally leads us to the question of the lack of unity and criteria in the regulations and laws governing the fire safety sector across different countries within the EU, which is already difficult to imagine on a global scale.

Each country within the EU has its own regulations, leading to variations such as mandatory 1 kg fire extinguishers in vehicles in some countries, mandatory powder changes in fire extinguishers every 5 or 10 years in others, and in countries like Spain, where changing the powder isn’t mandatory over the 20-year lifespan of the extinguisher. Some countries permit extensive component reuse, while others are still navigating how to recycle components effectively while upholding quality and safety standards. Establishing a common standard that meets the current needs of both society and the sector would greatly benefit everyone.

QUIMICA 21, S.L.

AT THE VANGUARD OF FIRE FIGHTING SECTOR