Fire & Safety Services; Halon Replacement

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Halon Replacement

150 countries agreed in the Montreal Protocol to control the use of all ozone-depleting chemicals. Halon was one of the first to be considered .As a result of Montreal, the following steps were taken to eliminate Halon from common use:"

1999 EUROPEAN REGULATION EC/5748 Formulated a timetable to phase out the use of Halon altogether and to govern the collection and destruction of both Halon 1301 (typically used in fixed systems) and 1211 (found in hand held extinguishers).
31 DECEMBER 1993 The manufacture of Halon is banned. Recycled Halon can be used to recharge systems but all Halon being recycled needs to be tracked to prove its origins. Halon retains some commercial value as recycled Halon is a commodity in demand.
31 DECEMBER 2002 The last day that existing Halon systems may be recharged with recycled or reclaimed Halon. After this date, if a Halon suppression system discharges it is effectively useless. The equipment it is designed to protect will be vulnerable until a new system can be purchased, installed and commissioned.
31 DECEMBER 2003 By this date all existing Halon systems must have been decommissioned and the Halon itself must have been disposed of by an approved contractor. Halon portable extinguishers must also be taken out of service by this date. Halon therefore now has a negative value, requiring certified disposal.