Over 50% of UK airports now have a bank of electric vehicle charging points and this is one of the main reasons why airports need electric vehicle fire blankets. Furthermore, with literally thousands of vehicles parked in carparks on site at each airport and the public’s increasing appetite to switch from traditional petrol and diesel cars, the percentage of electric vehicles (EVs) parked at any given time will continue to rise.
Outlines Andy Coulton, managing director of Prosol UK: “We know that the risk of fire is far higher when an electric vehicle is being charged. As such, any location, irrespective of its function or capacity, that provides charging facilities should have electric vehicle fire blankets placed close to the charging station areas.
“As more and more airports include EV charging points to cope with the demand from electric vehicle drivers, facilities and operations team must also consider providing the very highest levels of health & safety in relation to anyone using the charging points. They have a certain duty of care, not only to passengers using the airport but also to staff. The addition of electric vehicle fire blankets should be high on their agenda.”
Continues Andy: “Furthermore, with airports such as Heathrow having over 60,000 car parking spaces on site, there is potential for a high number of electric vehicles to be parked next to or near each other for prolonged periods of time. If a fire starts in just one of those EVs, the chances of it spreading to other vehicles is high, particularly if thermal runaway happens.
“So, having electric vehicle fire blankets evenly spaced throughout airport carparks is an ideal way of preventing an EV fire from spreading if a fire is ever suspected. If smoke is seen coming from an electric vehicle, the emergency services should be contacted immediately, and a fire blanket deployed. This will mitigate widespread damage to other vehicles and property, and also prevent the toxic fumes associated with EV fires from escaping.”
Concludes Andy: “The Fire Cloak Electric Vehicle Fire Blanket by Prosol UK will starve any electric car fire of oxygen which will, in turn, lower the temperature of the fire. The Fire Cloak can easily be deployed by just two adults and represents an essential piece of health health & safety equipment for airports.”
