Protection against heat radiation has great importance to perform fire-fighting effectively. It is provided by the use of the personal protective equipment, which includes special clothes, a protective helmet, gloves, and boots. This routine fire-fighting wear of fireman completed with a protective-glass-equipped helmet allows one to stay in the zone of fire over a long period of time, if the density of the heat flow is less than 4.2 kW per square meter. The use of this fire-fighting wear and additional protective measures allows one to stay in the zone of fire under the action of heat flow with higher densities, but for a limited time.

Acceptable time of stay of fireman under the action of the heat radiation of fire

using the routine fire-fighting wear

To protect fireman against heat flow with the density of more than 4.2 kW per square meter special fire-protective wears, which are made of material with a metallic coating, can be used: the means of local protection (type L, light), the heat-reflecting suite (type SH, semi-heavy), and the heat-protective suite (type H, heavy). With these special fire-fighting wears, the duration of stay under the action of heat radiation is also limited.

Acceptable time of stay of fireman under the action of heat radiation

using of special fire-fighting wears

Additional protection against heat radiation can be achieved by the use of different screens. As protecting screens, water curtains produced by fan sprayers, as well as rigid screens in the form shields of different materials with a high coefficient of reflection of heat radiation are commonly used. These curtains provide attenuation of heat radiation only in the 3.2-3.5 times. These rigid screens have high screening capability, but they are heated by acted heat radiation and not provide a high degree of protection over a long period of time.

From the standpoint of degree of attenuation of heat radiation and duration of protection, the screening of heat radiation by the screens “Sogda” and the devises based on them is the most effective.

The figure shows the dependence of the density of the heat flow as a function of distance to the mouth of a gas-gusher with the height of 45 meters and the gas consumption of 58.6 cubic meters per second.

The distance at which the personnel equipped with the routine fire-fighting wear completed with the protective-glass-equipped helmet can work for a long time is equal to 84 meters from the mouth of the gas-gusher where the heat flow is 4.2 kW per square meter.

The distance at which the personnel equipped with the special fire-protective wear and protected by the water jets can work over no more than 5 minutes is equal to 42 meters from the mouth of the gas-gusher where the heat flow is 14 kW per square meter.

The use of screens "Sogda" allows the personnel to work over unlimited period of time even at the distance of 10 meters from the mouth of the gas-gusher, where the heat flow is 53.5 kW.