Three ways to document that fixed and portable fire-extinguishing foams on board are PFOS-free: a manufacturer declaration, accredited laboratory testing, or a type approval certificate.
The requirement to document PFOS-free fire-extinguishing foams applies to all types of foam on board, i.e. both fixed systems and portable equipment.
Briefly summarized, there are three ways to document PFOS-free foam:
- A PFOS-free declaration is provided by the manufacturer of the foam.
- The foam can be sampled and tested according to a recognized standard by an accredited laboratory and concluded to be PFOS-free through a laboratory test report confirming that the PFOS concentration in the foam is below 10 mg/kg (0.001% by weight).
- Although not required, the type approval (TA) or Marine Equipment Directive (MED) certificate for the foam may state that it is PFOS-free. If this is the case, it is considered equivalent to a PFOS-free declaration.
Source: DNV