An Environmentally

Responsible Approach
To Fire Suppression
With FM-200® Fire
Suppression Systems

The World’s Most Trusted Choice In Clean Agent Fire Suppression.

1
The FM-200® Clean Agent:
Tested And Accepted Around The World
Everything mankind does has an impact on our environment. Growing
food, driving an automobile, turning on a light switch—all use limited
resources, and all have a measured impact on our environment. The goal
of environmental stewardship is to protect the environment through the
responsible use of these important resources.

One of the most potentially devastating events to affect the environment is

uncontrolled fire. Fire pollutes; it can create toxic combustion products that
are deadly to plants, animals, and people; and it releases carbon dioxide,
the most common greenhouse gas.

The FM-200® fire extinguishing agent from Great Lakes Chemical Corporation
is one of the world’s most effective suppressants for stopping fires before
they do any damage. The FM-200 agent does not deplete stratospheric
ozone. It has been proven safe for people in extensive laboratory testing and
over a decade of real-world experience in more than 100,000 applications in
more than 70 nations across the globe. It is perhaps the most widely studied
and tested fire suppression product in recent years, and has an unblemished
record of safety in use. In fact, the same active compound in FM-200 agent
has been approved as a replacement for ozone-depleting propellants in
pharmaceutical inhalers, such as those used to dispense asthma medications.

Just as important, no other commercially available system can stop fire faster
than an FM-200 suppression system. You might think of an FM-200 system as
an insurance policy protecting life, property, and the environment.

In the following pages you will find the facts about FM-200 systems, the
phase-out of Halon 1301 systems, and what Great Lakes is doing to help
protect our environment. If you have any additional questions, please
contact your local FM-200 installer, or visit us on the World Wide Web
at www.fm-200.com.

2
 FM-200 Suppression And The Environment:
What You Need To Know
As Halon 1301 fire suppression systems are systematically decommissioned
and replaced throughout the world, decisions will have to be made about
replacement systems. Fire suppression systems employing the FM-200
extinguishing agent are ideal for most fire protection applications that
involve high-value assets and mission-critical facilities.

The Challenge: Climate Change

Weather patterns have changed continually for millions of years. But in the
past decade, concerns have been raised about the influence human activities
have on climate change. In particular, “global warming” has been a concern;
average temperatures have risen by 0.5ºC over the past 100 years, and are
expected to continue rising. This warming has allegedly been linked, in part,
to the rising atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases such as carbon
dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide that are produced by human activities,
including burning fossil fuels.

Global warming has a potentially significant impact on people throughout the

world. Although some areas may benefit from warmer climates, people in
other parts of the world could be seriously disadvantaged.

Government Responses
In 1992, representatives from governments around the world met in Rio
de Janeiro and drafted the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate
Change. Their goal was to return emissions of greenhouse gases to 1990
levels by the year 2000.

By 1997, it was thought that more specific, long-term goals were necessary.
Representatives meeting in Kyoto, Japan drew up
the Kyoto Protocol, an agreement by which the
world’s developed nations would adopt
specific emission reduction targets to be
achieved by 2008 – 2012, with an overall
reduction goal of 5.2% in greenhouse gases.
Gases included in the protocol were carbon
dioxide, methane, and
nitrous oxide—which

Figure 1: Relative Global Warming

Contribution From Various Gases
Source: Hadley Centre/IPCC, October 1999

3
together account for 97% of global warming effects—as well as perfluorocar-
bons (PFCs), sulfur hexafluoride (SF6), and hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs). (Figure 1)

The Goal: Emissions Reduction

The FM-200 fire suppressant is a member of the non-ozone-depleting family
of compounds known as hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs). HFCs were initially
introduced to facilitate and hasten the phase-out of ozone-depleting chloro-
fluorocarbons (CFCs) such as Halon; and hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs).

It is extremely important to note that the Kyoto Protocol does not call for a
ban or restriction on any particular compound, but rather calls for specific,
targeted emission reductions. The protocol’s
emission targets refer to a “basket”
of all the gases and not to
each one individually.

A recent estimate of HFC

emissions in Europe
(Figure 2) indicates that
product emissions from fire
suppression systems account
for a fractional
percentage of
total projected
HFC emissions.
While similar estimates are Figure 2: European Union
currently not available for HFC Emissions Forecast For 2010
total worldwide emissions of Source: March Consulting Group, UK, September 1998
HFCs, the European estimates
are thought to be reflective of global emission trends.

These graphs show that HFCs as a whole represent a very small portion
of greenhouse gas emissions—and fire protection products account for
only a very small fraction of projected HFC emissions. Because FM-200 fire
suppression systems are essentially non-emissive except in the rare event
of fire, they have no measurable impact on the environment.

4
 Historically, halon fire suppression systems could not be characterized as
essentially non-emissive. Indeed, in the 1970s and ‘80s, Halon system
emissions totalled about 15% of the installed quantity each year. These
emission levels resulted primarily because of frequent system discharge tests
and no perceived need for recovery and recycling of product. Today, because
of advanced electronic and detection technology, greater environmental
awareness, and strict operating standards that discourage intentional
discharges during system commissioning, emissions have decreased to
2-3% per year and are still falling – a sevenfold reduction in emissions.

Fast-Acting Fire Suppression

No commercially available fire suppression system extinguishes fire faster
than an FM-200 system. This prevents damaging emissions from uncontrolled
fire that could harm the environment, people, and valuable natural resources.

Also, FM-200 systems are extremely space efficient. Inert gas systems require
up to seven times more storage space than a comparable FM-200 system.

The Technical and Economic Assessment Panel of the United Nations

Environmental Programme concluded that: “HFCs are currently essential
substitutes for some highly important uses of ozone depleting substances
including…replacement of Halon 1301 in specialized fire protection where
space and weight are critical. HFCs are important Halon substitutes primarily
in occupied areas where space and weight are constrained, or speed of
suppression is important.”

The message is clear: where space and weight are critical considerations, and
when fire must be suppressed quickly, an FM-200 system is a superior choice
to protect people, property, resources, and the environment.

5
Making Environmental
Responsibility a Priority
Great Lakes’ stewardship of the FM-200 clean agent did not end with the
discovery and manufacture of the FM-200 extinguishing agent. It continues
with Great Lakes’ pledge to ensure that the FM-200 product is handled
correctly and appropriately throughout its service life for the benefit of
people and the environment.

By thoroughly testing our product; making sure it meets the highest quality,
purity, and reliability standards; and working closely with governments and
environmental leaders across the globe, Great Lakes has been able to establish
the FM-200 extinguishing agent as the leading environmentally responsible fire
suppression solution. We are also committed to a comprehensive lifetime
management plan:

• We will meet or exceed all the latest emission standards for state-of-the-art
production technologies.

• We will work diligently with our global suppression system manufacturer

partners, and their distribution partners, to implement awareness and
training programs aimed at minimizing accidental agent emissions.

• We will continue to work with the fire suppression industry to drive

toward the development of responsible use standards that eliminate
all unnecessary emissions of fire suppressants.

• We will develop the technical capabilities to recover and recycle the FM-200
agent from decommissioned systems for use in new system installations
or for use as feedstock for other useful chemical products.

When you consider all the facts, the FM-200 extinguishing agent is clearly
the environmentally responsible solution for effective fire protection. It is
backed by a company committed to the fire suppression industry and
responsible product stewardship. It is a fire protection choice you can make
with confidence today, and one which will give you a lifetime of fast, effective
protection for your people, your facilities, and the environment.

6
 Great Lakes Fire Safety Products
http://www.fm-200.com

One Great Lakes Blvd. Tenax Road, Trafford Park

West Lafayette, IN 47906 Manchester M17 1WT
United States of America United Kingdom
Tel. 1 765 497 6100 Tel. +44 (0) 161 875 3058
Fax 1 765 497 6287 Fax +44 (0) 161 875 3737

The information contained in this publication is based on data currently available to Great Lakes Chemical Corporation (GLCC) and
is thought to be correct. Since GLCC has no control over the use to which others may put the materials described in this publication,
GLCC does not guarantee that the same results as those described herein will be obtained. No guaranty as to effectiveness or
safety of any possible design for any articles using information contained in this publication is made or should be assumed.
GLCC makes no warranties of merchantability for fitness or a particular purpose, or any other express or implied warranty.
Buyer assumes all risk and liability relating from the use of GLCC products. Nothing herein shall be construed as permission
or a recommendation to practice a patented invention without a license.
All information and data contained herein is intended for use by technical trained personnel at their discretion and risk. The
Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) and other product literature should always be read and understood prior to working with
FM-200. All users of the materials described in this publication should make their own tests to determine the suitability of the
materials, or the suitability of the materials in the design of an article for their own particular use.

FM-200 is a registered trademark. FM-200 use is covered by U.S. patent 5,124,053.

Revised September, 2002

© 2002 Great Lakes Chemical Corporation