IMO FP.1/Circ.37 5 January 2009 HALON BANKING AND RECEPTION FACILITIES

MANAGEMENT OF HALON AND THE GIELLE HALON MANAGEMENT PLAN.
The production of Halon has been prohibited since January 1994 in answer to the Montreal Protocol. Although the Halon systems installed before this date have not yet been prohibited in Europe, some countries have introduced laws that foresee their complete removal. Currently there are grounds for concern, especially in those cases in which there are no alternatives. The adoption of a prudent policy for the management of Halon is, therefore, vital.The situation highlights specific problems:

1. How can those users who decide to stop using Halon dispose of the gas in a safe and economical manner?

2. What other extinction agents are available?

3. How can the basic users be sure of having a supply of Halon now that the gas is no longer produced?

Gielle, world specialist in techniques of fire prevention protection, has developed a Halon Management Service which, dealing with these problems, aims to help users during the phase of their passage from Halon to an alternative agent and in the efficacious management of the existing resources.
The Gielle Management Plan offers clients a range of options.There are five main elements:

1. Halon Disposal - dismantling of Halon systems and their elimination at the client's site;

2. Recycling of the gas recovered;

3. Storage of the recycled Halon;

4. Safe destruction of the Halon, if necessary;

5. Advice on alternative extinction agents.


Those users who no longer wish to use Halon must make use of an authorised company specialised in the handling of the gas, and, in accordance with the Environmental Protection Act of 1990, they are legally required to possess a Certificate of Waste Transfer to prove that the gas was disposed of in complete safety.

Disposal
Gielle is authorised to handle Halon. The company staff is formed in teams of specialised engineers qualified in the dismantling of Halon systems. The teams remove the full containers, the pipes and the equipment and issue a Certificate of Waste Transfer. If other contracting parties are involved in the project, Gielle can safely handle the recovery of the Halon, and maintain the system safe for the later removal by the contracting party. 

Alternatively, the Gielle engineers can convert, when possible, Halon systems into systems that use alternative agents. 

Gielle also dismantles Halon extinguishers free of charge. The company collects the extinguishers from the clients' locations and recycles or disposes of the gas in complete safety.




Recycling
Gielle has fine tuned recovery systems for Halon 1211 and 1301. Designed by the company's Technical Division, these machines are today one of the most advanced systems for Halon recovery. 

The recovery systems extract the Halon in the form of liquid and vapour and remove any trace of gas from containers and extinguishers.

The Halon recovered is passed through a filtration system that removes the impurities and returns the gas to its original chemical formula.

This process is carefully monitored by Gielle's expert engineers and the final product is tested by an independent laboratory in conformity with ISO standards and U.S. military laws.

Supply
The recycled Halon is transferred in collection cylinders designed for this purpose by Gielle. The cylinders are deposited in Gielle's Halon Bank where they are constantly monitored to prevent any losses. 

Gielle can supply Halon to those clients who wish to reload their systems adapted to Halon, and offers a prompt intervention service 24 hours a day for any emergencies.

Distribution
If it is necessary to destroy quantities of Halon, the destruction can be completed in complete safety using a specific incinerator which operates at a higher temperature. The incineration system has been approved by the European Environmental Agency, the agency responsible for the monitoring of the destruction of Halon. A document that confirms that the Halon has been correctly destroyed is issued to both the client and the authorities, according to current law. 

Alternative agents
The first phase to be carried out when you decide to opt for an alternative solution against the risk of fire is that of re-establishing and then evaluating the protection against fires available at the moment.

Ship halon alternative

Halon alternative fire fighting systems Replacing halon with novec 1230 Novec 1230 fire protection fluid Novec fire extinguishing systems Replacing halon with fm-200 Fm-200 fire extinguishing systems Fm-200 gas extinguishing

Gielle has developed new fire suppression systems that use foams, water and CO2. The company has also introduced the advanced gaseous system with the clean agent FM-200, which offers rapid flame elimination, similar to Halon without the environmental problems. Safe for use in areas in which people are present, it also avoids damage to electrical equipment.

Halon extinguishers can be substituted with extinguishers in Gielle's advanced Euro-Range, marked with CE approval. Approved in accordance with the most up-to-date European laws, the range includes models suitable for the majority of fire risks.

Advice and assistance
Gielle assists companies in all aspects of fire prevention protection, including the search for alternative agents to Halon. Gielle representatives carry out surveys to establish the fire dangers and recommend the most suitable and affordable fire prevention protection solution. This service implies no obligation and is supplied free of charge. 


System design, installation, service
Gielle provide the services (design and installation, retrofit, recharge, and maintenance) necessary to keep your Gielle system functioning properly and in compliance with Marine fire protection regulations.