Repair of fire hose and capture of mek odours

Client: Paris fire brigade
Geographic area: France
Associated products: backsplash downdraft table
Stivent mission: capture of MEK dust and odours related to the repair of fire hoses

THE COMPANY

The Paris fire brigade defends 124 municipalities in the departments of Paris, Hauts-de-Seine, Seine-St-Denis and Val de Marne.  Among the 3 major missions carried out by fire-fighters, around 3% of their area of action is dedicated to fighting fire. In addition to the fire-fighters who go into intervention to bring aid to the population, the BSPP has a repair service for fire hoses.

THE CAPTURE PROBLEM

Upon return from intervention, tears and holes due to friction on materials that are still hot and/or sharp are identified and repaired.

First, the orifice is enlarged by a few millimetres, then ground, in order to introduce a thermo-bonding patch. Methyl ethyl ketone (also called MEK) is then applied to the hose. This colourless solvent serves as a degreaser and ensures the good adhesion of the patch. Finally, thanks to a heating press, the patch is incorporated to the hose.

The MEK dust and odours emitted during grinding and vulcanisation processes are harmful to the health of operators and the environment. Methyl ethyl ketone is not only highly flammable, it also poses a risk of acute toxicity, corrosive or irritating effects, caused by inhalation or direct contact.

The objective was therefore to capture the dust due to grinding as well as the methyl ethyl ketone odours while proposing a solution making it possible to immobilise the hose during their repair.

THE SOLUTION OFFERED BY STIVENT

Based on the constraints encountered by the operators, we proposed an ATEX gas-compatible backsplash downdraft table taking into account the flammable nature of MEK vapours.

It is equipped with:

• a work surface to collect the dust emitted when scraping the hoses,
• a system of rails and straps to fix the section of hose to be repaired.

Because we are committed to making life easier for users, STIVENT INDUSTRIE^® provides tailor-made suction and capture solutions for its clients.