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Extinguishing Fires of Live Electric Equipment

Electric appliances and equipment are part and parcel of today’s life, and the importance of hazardous substances is also on the rise. Their use has become part of our everyday life so much that it comes natural to all. But what if trouble happens to occur when they are not operated or handled in observance of the relevant rules? In managing ensuing accidents and situations or occurrences with damage incurred, prevention and rescue means, their efficiency and training of those who use them have a particularly significant role to play. Experts of the Nuclear Power Plant, Paks (ATÜ) Fire Brigade and VEIKI-VNL Villamos Nagylaboratóriumok Kft. are making efforts to find solutions for situations where firemen have to extinguish fires of energized electric equipment and cut live cables. VEIKI-VNL’s Head of Lab Zoltán Ferenczi and Power Plant’s Fire & Technical Rescue Head István Schreiner take part in this joint effort. The following summary has been prepared on the basis of information they furnished, reporting that the Nuclear Power Plant’s Fire Brigade was the first in Hungary to work out the methodology of extinguishing qualified fires of live equipment.

Tests commenced still in 2003 have evidenced that an early start could offer significant advantages in extinguishing fires of energized equipment as compared with fire figthing work started only after de-energization. For a safe extinguishing technology suitable for energized electric equipment, applicable fire-fighting materials and extinguishing means had to be found first. Practical considerations turned the experts’ attention to water as fire-fighting material and water hose meeting highest up-to-date requirements as fire-fighting equipment. As a basic rule, fires of live equipment may be extinguished using only fire-fighting equipment rated for the voltage level of the equipment on fire, and minimum extinguishing and access distances determined for that equipment should also be observed. According to legal regulations in effect, firemen should de-energize high-voltage equipment before setting about to extinguish such equipment fires. But, it is not at all unlikely that an equipment stays alive or cannot be de-energized. However, the proper use of fire-fighting equipment rated for a particular voltage level will make the above-mentioned problems lose consequence. The decree on extinguishing live equipment cannot meet challenges of everyday life any more, and is not in harmony with EU standard requirements; therefore urgent amendments are required in this respect, as well.
The Nuclear Power Plant’s Fire Brigade has made progressive steps towards finding practical solutions to the problems of extinguishing fires of live equipment and cutting live cables, as well as towards a future amendment to the relevant legislation. They are testing fire-fighting equipment and appliances under controlled circumstances, to find solutions, by changing parameters, for an efficient way of extinguishing fires of live equipment. Since 2003 all members of the fire service personnel have been receiving, on a regular basis, theoretical and practical training in the efficient way of extinguishing fires of live equipment. Since extinguishing of such fires is a dangerous operation and there’s no making mistakes in live situations, firemen are strictly obliged to give account of their knowledge and skills acquired. In this May, thematic experimental jobs assigned on the basis of a preliminary program were successfully carried out on VEIKI premises. Considerable efforts are made concerning the problem of cutting live cables, too. Last year, every firemen of the Nuclear Power Plant should cut a 400 V live cable. Their task to solve for this year is the cutting through of cables under 6 kV voltage, with 4 to 6 kA short current.
Efforts jointly made by the Nuclear Power Plant’s Fire Brigade and VEIKI VNL Villamos Nagylaboratóriumok Kft. is a great step ahead in the field of accident prevention and protection of lives and physical integrity of humans, therefore it deserves particular attention on the part of trade organizations concerned and fire departments.

Mrs. Anna Lovászi
Tuzvédelem – 6th issue, 2005