Posted By Ron Hunter Irrespective of your question, do you really expect "anyone" to fire fight with these? If hose is semi-rigid rubber type then it needn't be unwound. If collapsible canvas then obvioulsy has to be unwound.

Posted By mike morland Having sounded the fire alarm, it would be hoped that the fire brigade would be there before you have chance to unreel the hose. However, as recommended by our local fire brigade, all fire hose reels have been removed from our site. Fire hoses encourage people to stay with a fire longer than they should and put themselves at a greater risk. If a fire cannot be put out with one portable appliance used by a trained fire marshal then leave it to the experts.

Posted By Pete Longworth Maybe the hosereel is the only means of fighting a fire at HR71's site maybe not. The point is, he asked a simple question and as has become depressingly common for this forum, he got a smart alec answer. I don't know the answer to your question but I wish you luck in getting a genuine reply on here.

Posted By David Matthew Many hose reels have been removed because they present a potential breeding ground for legionella. As you have to have them then you should consider controlling the risk from legionella. Regards, David

Posted By Ron Hunter Of course we don't know your workplace HR71. If fire hose reels are a part of your fire fighting measures then there should be regular practice sessions with nominated duty holders. There are some industries with a 'private' on-site fire service. As others say, these reels are effectively redundant in offices, schools and public buildings - we wouldn't expect staff to put themselves at risk using them, and the fire service won't trust or use them either. Nothing smart-alec or patronising in this or my initial response. My but some of us are touchy out there!

Posted By Ashley Wood 2 types of hose exist. Automatic and manual. Automatic switches the water supply on when the hose is unwound, manual requires the opening of a valve.

Posted By shaun mckeever Colin there will always be those whose circumstances are different. This is the purpose of risk assessment. I'm sure SOLAS requirements make adequate provision for sea going vessels/places of work.

Posted By HR71 Hi Julian/GT, Thank you for your information. Are these automatic valves in accordance with NFPA or some other standard? How reliable would they be in operation?

Posted By jackw. Hi, re your distance from the nearest fire station. Obviously your fire prevention needs to be as good as it can be. If you are a high or sleeping risk have you considered installing a sprinkler system.. may be a bit costly as an outlay (relatively speaking they aren't that expensive, esp in a new build or as part of a renovation), but they will give you in built fire fighting capability and peace of mind. cheers.

Posted By Ashley Wood HR 71. You are in a part of the world that follows the NFPA codes of practice. These differ considerably from British Standards or LPCB/BRE approvals when it comes to fire related equipment and its installation. In the UK the 2 types of hose reels are automatic and manual. As I said earlier, the automatic allows water into the hose as soon as it is run out a few meters, the manual requires the turning of a valve, normally sited next to, below or above the reel. Hose reels in the UK used to be common place but things have changed and are only now found on an occasional basis i.e prisons, military sites, pet/chem etc. I sometimes come across them in office buildings but these are slowly being removed. I would advise you to direct your question regarding approvals to the NFPA. They have a technical questions section. In the USA they have a mixture of 'dutch' rolled hose, these lay in cabinets and are pleated in the way they are laid and all come out of the cabinet at the same time (have to switch on a valve)and reels. Can you tell us the manufacturers name on the hose drum? This would give me the information to track the type of equipment. A company who are based in the UK but supplied a lot of units out to Asia is Macron.

Posted By Konstanty Budkiewicz Morning KRA, Your question on what signage should be provided?, touches on an interesting conceptual point associated with how training is integrated into safe systems of work. Previous corespondents have stressed that the hose equipment introduces hazards to the local area and possibly the seat of the fire. Dealing with these aspects should involve local specialist training in the appropriate use or non-use of the provided hose reels. Consequently, I suggest that your signage should read (blue background with white text)"Fire hazard: Fire fighting equipment - only to be used by authorised trained personnel". You may wish to consider how the list of authorised persons is published and reviewed. I suggest that a fire policy document supported by local posted listings would go a long way towards meeting your immediate needs. Keep cool (sic) Kon CMIOSH

Posted By GT HR71, your question:- "Can anyone tell me that if a fire hose reel (the one anybody can use) has to be fully unwound in order to be operable" ? The answer is No! but if automatic you will need to run off about 3 meters generally. "Is there any device device controlling this"? Ashley has explained there are factors and valves controlling this aspect, and don't forget that there is generally a hand controlled branch or nozzle at the end of the hose reel. "I believe whatever the position of the reel when the valves opened water should come out? can anybody shed some light on please?" You are correct in your assessment however, you also need to check if the hose reel is connected to a water supply and that supply is turned on. The other comments are debatable. Regards GT