Last edited 25 Sep 2020

Fire blanket

1 Introduction
2 History
3 Modern materials
4 Uses
5 Care and regulations
6 Related articles on Designing Buildings Wiki

[edit] Introduction

A fire blanket is a piece of fire protection equipment made from fabric that can be used to control or extinguish small fires.

[edit] History

Conceptually, it’s difficult to determine the first time someone used a heavy piece of fabric to manage or extinguish a fire. One of the earliest patents for a fire blanket was filed in 1911 by Ephriam Bishop of Kingston, New York, who presented an example of a piece of heavy, flexible material (more than likely wool or felt) which had been “properly treated to fireproof.” Bishop then specified the supports and containment system for the fire blanket, but did not go into details regarding the fireproof treatment process.

In 1953, Theodore Harry Diacos of Chicago, Illinois filed another patent that specified “non-combustible material, preferably of a fabric somewhat light in nature, for which purpose I prefer the modern fiberglass materials.” (Fiberglass is also known as glass wool or glass fibre.)

Early fire blankets may have included asbestos, although this material was not popular, due to its lightweight and fragile characteristics. Asbestos has since been phased out of modern fire blankets, but older ones should be decommissioned in accordance with modern regulations regarding hazardous waste. All asbestos containing materials and asbestos contaminated waste - including old fire blankets - must be disposed of in an Environment Agency licensed asbestos landfill site and carried by vehicles marked with hazardous waste signage.

[edit] Modern materials

As with earlier versions of this form of effective, yet low-tech fire prevention equipment, modern fire blankets also incorporate some type of fire resistant or fire retardant material. This material, which can withstand high temperatures, essentially cuts off oxygen to the fire in order to smother and extinguish the flames.

Glass fibre is still commonly used in fabrics to make mats and blankets that are heat-resistant.

Kevlar (poly-para-phenylene terephthalamide) is also popular for its inherent heat-resistant characteristics. Kevlar is a low weight, high strength material that is stable at high temperature and whose fibres are five times stronger than steel per unit weight (in tension). It is used for heat- or flame-resistant fabrics. An inner layer of fire retardant film is incorporated into two layers of glass fibre or kevlar.

[edit] Uses

Fire blankets can help to smother and extinguish fires. They are easier to operate than other fire prevention devices, and can be particularly effective when a person’s clothing catches fire.

They are most commonly used in homes, workshops or kitchens. However, some safety investigations have resulted in revisions to recommendations for kitchen fires caused by cooking oil or fat. Fire blankets are no longer considered suitable for this application. This comes after some blankets caught fire during cooking oil fires. Fire blankets are also considered unsuitable for fires caused by flammable gases.

There are larger fire blankets available for use in schools, offices, research facilities, industrial settings and so on. These blankets can be made from wool that has been treated with some form of fire retardant liquid.

Fire blankets should be placed close to areas where a fire is most likely to occur.

[edit] Care and regulations

Fire blankets should be permitted to cool after being used, and should be disposed of properly. However, they do not require servicing or repair, and do not go out of date if they are not used. In school settings, fire blankets should be inspected at least annually and replaced after they are used.

'BS EN 1869:2019 Fire blankets' specifies requirements for fire blankets used to control small fires. The standard indicates that the blankets should not be reused after being deployed in a fire extinguishing capacity. It also issues a warning against use on electrical equipment since they can seriously damage the equipment. The guidance recommends indoor use only. The 2019 standard replaces BS EN 1869:1997. Prior to that, fire blankets were covered under BS 6575.