Story in the news this week – people in St Petersburg (the American one, not the former Russian capital city) were mightily amused and confused to see bits of foam floating through the air in the city. Some said that it looked like feathers, others said it looked like soapy foam. It was up high in the air, and lower down on the ground too. No-one knew where this stuff was coming from, and so rumours and speculation abounded. Some people saw it floating past their office windows while they were working, and when they came down to have a closer look, there were bits of it stuck in the grass. Because it was foam, it looked just like bits of bubble bath, but no-one was entirely sure what it was, or where it was coming from.
Well, the answer turns out to be quite a simple one. At the new All Children’s Hospital in the city, contractors were testing out a new foam sprinkler system. This system works by shooting out fire-suppressant foam onto its rooftop helipad. Some of this foam manage to spill over the side of the helipad, off the building, and blew into downtown St Petersburg.
Soon they will have to do two more fire suppressant tests on the same helipad, and therefore it is possible that the same phenomenon will be seen again. The foam itself is non-toxic and biodegradable, so the spillage and floatage is not dangerous in any way, and will soon just disappear, with no adverse effects on the environment.
Foam is a really good material for fire suppression. A normal foam fire extinguisher can be used on Class A fires – such as wood, paper, material etc, and also on Class B – flammable liquids like petrol, diesel and spirits. It is, therefore, a good all-rounder, and is recommended for most offices, shops, hotels and similar premises. It is lighter than a water extinguisher, and therefore easier to use and move.
The foam extinguishers that we sell use AFFF. But what does this acronym mean, I hear you cry. Well, it stands for Aqueous Film Forming Foam (try saying that quickly after a festive sherry!) and this funky substance forms a film (which the name adequately implies) and this seals the surface of a liquid fire, and therefore stops re-ignition. Easy peasy. The only thing with these little monkeys is that they cannot be used near live electrical equipment – remember, foam and electricity don’t mix!
