Once they saved life and property with their extinguishing powers. Now they are ozone depleters that need to be destroyed.
Russel Bishop, owner of Fire and Safety Systems 2000 in Blenheim, wants all yellow Halon fire extinguishers, sold in the late 1970s, to be handed in for destruction.
The extinguishers release a dangerous gas, firefighting agent Halon-1211 (BCF), which destroys the ozone layer, he said.
Mr Bishop said research undertaken in Australia showed that 1kg of gas released by the extinguisher could destroy up to 50,000kg of ozone.
The research also showed it could take up to 17 years for the gas to reach the stratosphere.
"If used on a fire it is not quite so damaging," he said.
"What is happening, though, is they are starting to lose pressure without being let off.
"You can't service or maintain them. They have become a danger to the person who operates them."
Mr Bishop said the cylinders were distinctive and popular in the late 1970s and had a reputation as one of the best extinguishers available.
Hundreds are thought to remain in workplaces throughout the country.
New Zealand is a signatory to the Montreal Protocol, which commits countries to eliminate production and use of ozone-depleting substances. Under the protocol, such items must be destroyed by 2002.
Mr Bishop said owners were hit with a $20 destruction bill because the extinguishers were sent to Auckland and then shipped to Australia for incineration.
The response from Marlborough businesses had been positive. Almost 90kg of the fire-fighting gas had been handed in for destruction, which Mr Bishop estimated would help save 4,572,211kg of ozone over the next 20 years.
- NZPA
Halon fire extinguishers a danger to ozone
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