When deciding on the best automatic fire suppression system for your heavy-duty mobile equipment, there are several factors to take into consideration. In addition to a manufacturer’s experience and the knowledge of their distributor network, system quality and reliability hold considerable weight when making a purchase. Sure, you can ask a manufacturer about the dependability of their fire suppression systems; however, third-party testing will give you peace of mind you’re making the safest choice for your organization.
Automatic fire suppression systems on heavy equipment must perform under some of the most stringent conditions to protect people, production, and assets. And, with so much on the line, this makes third-party testing extremely relevant for those considering which system to install on their machines.
Before we dig into the two most relevant testing standards for vehicle fire suppression systems, it’s important to note that:
Fire suppression systems are often used in various applications, such as commercial kitchens, office buildings, and public buses. Be sure that the testing approval you're reviewing was specifically created to evaluate systems on mobile equipment. There is a big difference between a fire suppression system in a kitchen or on a bus, and one mounted to a piece of heavy-duty mobile equipment.
FM offers several tests to certify fire suppression systems in various applications under the “Fixed Extinguishing Systems” category; however, for automatic systems mounted to a vehicle, the “Heavy Duty Mobile Equipment”, or HDME, the standard is the most relevant. FM recognizes that fire suppression systems mounted to moving machinery require testing above and beyond that of a fixed system due to their exposure to excess vibration, dust, debris, extreme temperatures, and the like.
Both dry chemical and liquid agent fire suppression systems evaluated by HDME standards undergo over 100 tests, including:
To verify whether a specific manufacturer’s fire suppression system currently holds the FM HDME certification, visit www.approvalguide.com, create a free account, and under the “Fixed Extinguishing System” category, select the “Heavy Duty Mobile Equipment Protection” standard. Click here for instructions on creating an FM account.
ActivFire’s Australian Standard (AS) 5062 was created with the objective of specifying the minimum requirements for fire protection system design, installation, commissioning, and maintenance exclusively on mobile and transportable equipment. Originally developed for off-road equipment in the coal industry, the standard’s scope was expanded in later years to cover other industry sectors, such as general mining, forestry, waste handling, and agriculture.
ActivFire created its standard recognizing that mobile and transportable equipment pose “unique and specific challenges, which general risk assessment methodologies do not necessarily address.” As a result, AS 5062 was developed to “assist in meeting those specific requirements.”
When undergoing evaluation for the AS 5062 certification, the following areas are evaluated:
Fire testing is also performed with both direct and indirect application of agent. The automatic fire suppression system must extinguish the fire using the proper amount of agent in a certain timeframe and without reignition.
To verify if a manufacturer’s system currently holds AS 5062 approval, visit https://activfire.csiro.au/ and enter the manufacturer's name in the search bar.
ISO 9001:2015 is a standard that does not apply to a product, but instead certifies a company’s quality management system. ISO 9001 is one of the most recognized management standards in the manufacturing industry. The standard is used by organizations globally to demonstrate their dedication to continuous improvement and their ability to provide consistent, quality products and services that meet customer and regulatory requirements.
To put it simply, third-party testing is highly relevant for fire suppression systems, and the certification should be specific to the purpose of the product.