It is a type of fire extinguishing equipment that emits carbon dioxide, and in response to a series of fatal accidents during construction and inspection, the Fire and Disaster Management Agency of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications has decided to securely close the "stop valve" to prevent the emission of carbon dioxide. , We have decided to take measures such as requesting the installation of valves in old fire extinguishing equipment.
Carbon dioxide fire extinguishing equipment that lowers the oxygen concentration in the air to extinguish a fire has little effect on machines, and is often installed in parking lots, etc. is.
It happened in Nagoya City in December 2020, in Minato Ward, Tokyo in January 2021, and in Shinjuku Ward in April, and the Fire and Disaster Management Agency of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications summarized the measures in a study group consisting of experts.
Among them, it is important to close the "close valve" between the stored cylinder and the injection device before work so that carbon dioxide is not released even if the fire extinguishing equipment is activated. It is the responsibility of the building owners and managers to demand thoroughness.
On the other hand, when the Fire and Disaster Management Agency of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications extracted and examined 1490 carbon dioxide fire extinguishing equipment nationwide, it was found that about 20% did not have a shutoff valve.
The government began to require the installation of valves from 1991, but before 1991, more than 50% of the valves were not installed.
For this reason, the Fire and Disaster Management Agency of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications has decided to amend the Cabinet Order to require all carbon dioxide fire extinguishing equipment to be equipped with shut-off valves and to call on building owners and managers to take thorough measures through related organizations.