Technical solutions are available to support the ‘Clean Fire Station’ operating principle. The Hose Master unit for washing hoses provides even safer and more efficient hose maintenance.
The washing, drying and pressurising of fire hoses has traditionally been slow and physically exhaustive work. When maintaining hoses, fire station personnel are also often exposed to substances through the respiratory air and skin that may result in illnesses, such as cancer.
The Finnish Institute of Occupational Health has therefore recommended various means to the rescue departments by which to reduce the exposure of their personnel to such substances in fire station maintenance facilities.
One such way is provided by the Hose Master fire hose maintenance system based on the development work of Swedish firefighters. The unit provides automatic washing, test pressurising, drying, hole detection and coiling. The system is closed so that the machine operator is not exposed to foam residues or dangerous propellant gases that are released during the washing process.
In Northern Europe, Hose Master is in use at more than 40 fire stations. The most recent delivery was made to the Finnish Oulu-Koillismaa Emergency Services, and two more Finnish stations are now waiting for their Hose Masters to be delivered and installed soon.
The Clean Fire Station principle has always been at the heart of the development work of Hose Master. The washing machine not only just made the hose maintenance work faster and lighter but the greatest intention of the invention was to reduce the health hazards involved.
In addition to occupational safety, the automated hose maintenance unit is an economically sensible investment. When washing and pressurising one hose in a basin, over 100 litres of water is used, whilst the new washing unit requires only about 5 litres per hose. The significant water savings gained are also important to the environment, from the perspective of sustainability.
Savings in working times are also significant. The washing process is quick, and one operator can even take care of up to 20 hoses per hour. Efficiency is also reflected in savings in electrical energy.
In Sweden, the power of Hose Master has been proven in post-forest fire maintenance. The first real test concerned fires that took place in Västmanland in the summer of 2014, during which firefighters used close to 900km of fire hoses. With the traditional way of washing, perhaps up to a year would be consumed on the maintenance. The Provincial Government, however, rented a washing unit, resulting in the task being completed within three and a half months.
The Clean Fire Station principle in premises planning is already being considered in the construction of new fire stations. If hose maintenance is to be carried out with a washing system, it is possible to combine the prevention of exposure and the efficiency of the use of the premises in the station projects. Thanks to the washing system, the hose maintenance facilities can be optimised to be as efficient as possible, thereby saving on expensive premises space.
Hose towers and long maintenance tables are also things of the past in old stations when the basic maintenance equipment is upgraded to modern, automatic washing units.
And last but not the least, Hose Master provides utmost work safety. In circumstances when a hose gets burst in the machine, Hose Master can contain the pressure release and shut down with no threat to the operator at all.
Hose Master is now available in two different models, HM76 and HM110. The HM76 model can handle hoses up to 80mm, and the maximum size of hoses which can be washed and tested with HM110 is 110 mm.
For more information, go to www.esterigroup.fi
