
AFFF foam – All you need to know
What is AFFF foam? AFFF (Aqueous Film Forming Foam) is a fluorine-containing firefighting foam primarily used to extinguish flammable liquids such as petrol. It forms
Situation assesment, concepts and project management.
I will guide you through the tranition from AFFF to fluorine-free foam!
European Commission 2020: Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability Towards a Toxic-Free Environment
Understanding your situation always comes first. The foam concentrate you have, the equipment you use, the risks you face and the constraints you need to consider are the basis for any project.
At the end of the situation
assessment, you will
understand which issues need
to be addressed and you will
know the scope of the project.
Now it's time to plan. We find
the right foam concentrate,
identify the necessary
technical modifications, plan
the cleaning of the systems and
ensure that everything runs
smoothly.
At the end of the project
planning phase, you know how
to solve the problems, what it
will cost, and how long the
project will take.
You can start
the project execution.
Now the project will be
executed. We identify the
suppliers and service providers,
monitor implementation, and
find solutions if something does
not go as planned.
At the end of the project
execution, the new fluorine
free foam concentrate is in the
systems, the vehicles are ready
for use and the extinguishing
systems are operational. The
old foam concentrate was
disposed of properly.
Now the knowledge transfer
from the project must be
ensured. This includes training,
the handing over of the
documentation, and the
establishment of a quality
management system.
At the end of the last phase,
your employees are familiar
with the new technology and
the new foam concentrate and
ensure that both are always
ready for use.
The project is completed
The Solution
References
Knowledge
What is AFFF foam? AFFF (Aqueous Film Forming Foam) is a fluorine-containing firefighting foam primarily used to extinguish flammable liquids such as petrol. It forms
Certain foam concentrates used to extinguish fires – especially AFFF – contain fluorosurfactants or PFAS. PFAS are harmful to the environment and health. That is
About me
I have worked for more than 13 years as a deputy fire chief for an industrial fire service. I am an expert in fire-fighting foam, specialising in all aspects of the phase-out of AFFF and the transition to fluorine-free foam. I am involved in several research and testing projects for the performance of fluorine-free foam. I have also developed and implemented concepts for tank fire-fighting.
Since 2016 I have chaired the working group on fire-fighting foam of the WFVD, the German Industrial Fire-fighters organisation and advise the European Commission, the European Chemicals Agency, and the Stockholm Convention on the legislation of PFAS in fire-fighting foam.
I received a Bachelor of Engineering in Rescue Engineering from TH Köln (Germany), a Master of Science in Disaster Management from Coventry University (UK). I also attended the national training program for fire officers in Germany (senior management level).
youtube
This quality issue of firefighting foam is called phase separation or stratification. It can occur with alcohol-resistant foam concentrate – both with AFFF and with fluorine-free foam. In this video I show what happened to us and explain how to ensure the quality of firefighting foams.
In this video I am looking into the future of fluorine-based fire-fighting foam. Despite the restriction of PFOS and PFOA, AFFF still exists. So how likely is it, that all PFAS-based foams will be banned?