Tips for Choosing In-Cabinet Fire Suppression

Virtually every laboratory has areas with elevated fire risks, with fume hoods being a primary concern. The presence of ignition sources, such as hot plates and Bunsen burners, the use of pyrophoric materials and the inherent volatility of the various chemicals and compounds that are commonly found in fume hoods all add up to a serious fire risk. Traditionally, fire protection for laboratory fume hoods has been limited to a code-mandated alarm system, which does nothing to suppress a fire, and an overhead water sprinkler system. One practical and cost-effective type of in-cabinet fire detection is linear heat detection. Linear heat detectors are available in both electric and pneumatic designs and provide multi-point detection at any point along their length.