Fire Extinguishing Agent for Electrical Fires (CO2 and Powder Extinguisher)
The choice of extinguishing agent for a fire in or near live electrical installations (fire class per NEN-EN 2, often informally referred to as 'class E' though not an official class) is decisive for the safety of the person extinguishing: a carbon dioxide (CO2) extinguisher is electrically non-conductive and leaves no residue, making it suitable for sensitive equipment such as switchgear cabinets and server rooms, while an ABC powder extinguisher is likewise electrically insulated and broadly applicable but leaves a corrosive, hard-to-remove powder residue on electronics. Water and foam extinguishers are strictly prohibited on live installations because of the conduction hazard to the user; only after the installation has been made dead may they be used if the burning materials require it.
Voor de meterkast en serverruimte kiest de veiligheidscoördinator CO2-blussers in plaats van poederblussers, om bij een eventuele kleine brand schade aan gevoelige elektronica door poederresidu te voorkomen.
Een waterblusser of schuimblusser inzetten op een nog onder spanning staande schakelkast in de veronderstelling dat 'elke brand hetzelfde geblust wordt' — dit vormt een direct elektrocutiegevaar voor de gebruiker via de geleidende bluswaterstraal.
See also
- → EN 2 / EN 3-7 / EN 3-11 Fire extinguishers for electrical installations — there is no separate "fire class E", but there is a separate voltage test
- → §5 RI&E for Electrical Equipment
- → NEN-EN 50110-1 First aid for electrical accidents — rescue and resuscitation
- → Inspectie Periodic inspection of EV charge points under NEN 3140
- → IEC 61140 Protection class I, II and III — IEC 61140
- → IEC 60364-6 / NEN-EN-IEC 61557-4 Measuring protective conductor continuity (PE)