How do the changes in regulations for AFFF foam impact you?

AFFF Foam Fire Extinguishers

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Important information regarding AFFF Foam extinguishers

In July 2023, Johnson Controls announced its intention to discontinue the production and sale of fluorinated firefighting foams by June 2024, including Aqueous Film-Forming Foam (AFFF) and related products.

In light of this change, we wanted to share more information on the changes around the use of AFFF and how we intend to work with our customers to take proactive steps to ensure compliance and mitigate risks across sites where AFFF is in use.

Which types of AFFF do we use in our products?

We have historically used two types of AFFF in our foam extinguishers - C8 AFFF and C6 AFFF.

C8 AFFF

These foams contain chemicals which belong to a group of toxic chemicals called PFOS (perfluorooctanoic acids) which do not degrade easily in nature and can cause environmental damage and serious health risks. These foams are currently being phased out and will be banned for use from 4th July 2025.

C6 AFFF

The chemicals in these foams (polyfluoroalkyl substances) or PFAS contain a slightly different carbon make up which allows them to break down more easily, however, the safety of these chemicals is currently under review, with an eventual ban expected by 2030. Our current foam extinguishers contain C6 AFFF.

What happens next?

If your extinguishers are regularly serviced by us then it is likely that our experienced and skilled engineers have either already swapped out, or made recommendations for you to swap out, any existing C8 AFFF extinguishers to a suitable alternative.

From the 1st October 2024, Johnson Controls will no longer support the servicing or maintenance of C8 fire extinguishers. If one of our engineers is servicing your site prior to 1st October, we will endeavour to changeout your existing extinguishers to a more sustainable option.

If you wish to opt out of this changeout programme, please contact us. Please note that if you choose to opt out and retain your C8 extinguishers, Johnson Controls will be unable to maintain these past 1st October 2024.

If you do not have a regular maintenance contract, or if you have any concerns about any of your existing extinguishers on site, please reach out to us to arrange a site visit, where we can assist you in safely disposing of your C8 extinguishers to negate any environmental impacts and replacing these with suitable alternatives.

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Important information regarding AFFF Foam extinguishers | Johnson Controls

What alternatives are available?

There are two main alternatives to AFFF foam fire extinguishers:

For protection of Class A fires – combustible materials (i.e. plastics, wood, paper, textiles, etc.) – we will likely replace with a water extinguisher.

For protection of Class B fires – flammable liquids (i.e. petrol, diesel, oils, paint, etc.) – we will likely provide non-fluorinated foam or watermist extinguishers.

Please enquire for more information on any of these products.

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Fire Extinguishers Save Lives

Having the correct levels of fire protection is critical in the fight to prevent small fires becoming large scale incidents. It is important to have the correct extinguisher in place for your organisation’s safety, but it is also your responsibility to comply with legislative and environmental regulations and requirements. Contact us using the form below to ensure your organisation stays compliant and continues to safeguard both people and property against the risk of fire.

Talk to our Fire Extinguisher experts today to discuss the alternatives to AFFF

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