Fire extinguishers

We had to discharge a "dry" fire extinguishers during a laboratory
experiment on Masonite (trying to understand the ageing properties
and migration of components during artificial ageing).  The clean-up
was terrible, we vacuumed the mess, but the vacuum bag was not fine
enough to contain the dust in the unit and was vacuum was
contaminated as well as a fine dust produced in the exhaust.  We wet
mopped the lab and had to dust the entire facility as well as wash
all our glassware, etc.  I still have dry extinguishers in the lab
but have since experimented with CO2 which seems effective in many
fires.  For safety you'll still have to have both, unfortunately,
unless you can afford a halon system.

Niccolo Caldararo
Director and Chief Conservator
Conservation Art Service

                                  ***
                  Conservation DistList Instance 11:94
                   Distributed: Tuesday, May 19, 1998
                       Message Id: cdl-11-94-003
                                  ***