You may have heard about “forever chemicals”, but did you know that some older fire extinguishers were filled with them?
The Drinking Water Inspectorate defines forever chemicals, known as PFAS, as a chemical family consisting of at least 5,000 individual substances. In manufacturing, these chemicals have historically been favoured for their durability and useful properties such as non-stick, water repellence and resistance to grease. As a result, PFAS have been widely used in the manufacture of many domestic products.
However, forever chemicals are a growing concern because they do not break down naturally and gradually accumulate in water, soil, food, and even the human body. Their extremely strong carbon-fluorine bonds make them very difficult to remove from the environment, meaning each exposure adds to an increasing toxic burden.
In firefighting equipment, PFAS chemicals such as perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) have been used in certain foam formulations, particularly in Aqueous Film Forming Foam (AFFF) for extinguishing flammable liquid (Class B) fires.
To reduce the risks associated with PFAS, the UK has introduced regulatory changes affecting fire extinguishers that contain these substances. Here is what you need to know when your foam fire extinguishers are next serviced or inspected.
What You Need to Check
From 4 July 2025, the use, service, maintenance, testing, refilling and sale of fire extinguishers containing PFOA based foam, including many older AFFF units, have been prohibited in the UK. This requirement forms part of updated Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) and chemical safety regulations targeting these substances.
If your foam extinguisher is older, or has not been replaced or refreshed in recent years, it may contain PFOA or other PFAS above regulatory limits and will need to be taken out of service.
How to Know if Yours Is Still Compliant
Your service technician will check the extinguisher label, manufacture date and service history during routine inspection. Units marked as AFFF or containing fluorinated foam components are the most likely to fall under the new restrictions.
Importantly, simply refilling an older extinguisher does not always make it compliant if residual PFAS remain from previous contents.
If Replacement Is Needed
If a foam extinguisher is found to be non-compliant:
- Replacement should always be based on your Fire Risk Assessment, ensuring the correct type of extinguisher for the identified fire risks.
- Where foam is still the appropriate extinguishing medium, modern PFAS free or C6 based compliant foam extinguishers are now required, where available. Some businesses also opt for alternative agents such as water mist, CO₂ or dry powder, depending on the hazards present.
Safe Removal
Non-compliant extinguishers must be disposed of through an approved hazardous waste contractor, ensuring environmental controls are met and regulatory paperwork is retained.