Dangers of AFFF Firefighting Foam (And Why You Should File a Lawsuit)
Dangers of AFFF Firefighting Foam (And Why You Should File a Lawsuit)
Blog Article
AFFF means “aqueous film-forming foam.” It's a kind of Firefighting Foam that is most commonly employed by firefighters to extinguish Class B and Class A fires. Class B fires are the ones that involve flammable liquids, such as for example gasoline, oil, or paint, while Class A fires are the ones that involve combustible materials, such as wood or paper.
AFFF functions forming a slim layer of water on the surface of the burning liquid, which effectively smothers the fire and prevents it from spreading. Additionally, AFFF contains surfactants—substances that reduce the outer lining tension of water—that really help the water to spread more easily and evenly over the outer lining of the liquid.
How AFFF Works
● Aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF) is a form of firefighting foam that's most commonly employed by firefighters to extinguish Class B and Class A fires. Class A fires are those who involve combustible materials like wood or paper, while Class B fires involve flammable liquids like paint, oil, or gasoline.
● To know the way AFFF works, it's first vital that you know how fire works. Each time a fire burns, it does so because three elements can be found: oxygen, heat, and fuel. The oxygen offers the air necessary for combustion, while heat causes the fuel to ignite. Once ignited, the fuel begins to burn, releasing energy in the shape of heat and light.
● If one of these three elements is removed, the fire should go out. This is where AFFF comes in. When put on a fire, AFFF forms a slim layer of water on top of the burning liquid. This effectively smothers the fire and prevents it from spreading. Surfactants, which lower water's surface tension, are another ingredient in AFFF. They allow it to be easier and more uniform for water to spread across a liquid's surface.
● Surfactants are especially important when fighting fires involving liquids with high surface tensions, such as for instance diesel fuel or crude oil. Without surfactants, these types of liquids would repel water, making it difficult for firefighters to extinguish them.
AFFF Firefighting Foam Lawsuit
AFFF Firefighting foam lawsuit is really a class action lawsuit which was filed in the United States District Court for the District of South Carolina. This product has been utilized by the U.S. Military, in addition to many fire departments over the country.
● The primary allegations in the lawsuit are that the companies knew or should have known that the chemicals in AFFF firefighting foam were dangerous and caused health conditions, nevertheless they failed to warn people or take steps to eliminate the chemicals from the product.
● The chemicals at issue, in this instance, are perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA).
● These chemicals have been linked to cancer, along with, other health problems. The plaintiffs, in this case, are seeking compensatory and punitive damages. They are also seeking to have the companies remove these chemicals from AFFF firefighting foam and other products.
Conclusion:
Aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF) is an important tool in the fight fires. By forming a slim layer of water at first glance of burning liquids, it effectively smothers flames and prevents them from spreading. Additionally, its surfactant content helps water to spread more evenly over surfaces with high surface tensions.
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