Norfolk-based fire extinguisher manufacturer Britannia Fire has seen a 40% increase in production just one year after making the bold decision to stop producing traditional metal fire extinguishers and focus exclusively on its lightweight, environmentally friendly P50 range.
With demand for Britannia’s P50 outstripping supply – and customers crying out for more cost-effective and ‘greener’ fire extinguishers – the company decided on the bold move and has never looked back.
A year on, helped by a recent factory refurbishment and doubling of capacity, production is up and in the last quarter alone, Britannia made more P50s than it did in the whole of 2020.
The new manufacturing process is much less energy intensive, and part powered by solar power.
Low-energy production means that the P50 range has a smaller carbon footprint compared to metal alternatives. It’s also PFAS free, lasts twice as long and is 100% recyclable or reusable so nothing goes to waste.
Britannia has taken on eight more staff – bringing its total workforce to 54 – to meet demand. And, as well as investing heavily in new machinery and equipment, it also recently expanded its fleet of delivery vans.
More expansion plans are underway, including the addition of a modern new administration centre.
Andy Spence, joint managing director of Britannia Fire, said: “The decision to focus solely on our P50 range was an easy one. It’s what customers wanted and has been a win, win for the environment!
“A year on and business continues to go from strength to strength. The switch and subsequent £1m factory upgrade have enabled us to double capacity, reduce delivery times and keep up with unprecedented demand.
“This move was as much about future proofing our business as it was becoming more sustainable and supporting the circular economy.
“The benefits of embracing new technology and doing things differently were also a big draw but the industry has been slow to catch-up.
“As PFAS regulations come into force and awareness grows, the shift toward more sustainable fire safety is a must. We have a real opportunity to reduce our environmental impact without compromising on protection.”
One happy customer, fire safety manager Nick Greenwood, from the University of Brighton, said: “Our previous fire extinguishers were non-recyclable, inferior imports from abroad that required costly servicing.
“Sustainability is one of the University’s core values. We opted for the P50 due to its impressive environmental credentials.
“It’s carbon footprint is less than steel alternatives and it’s also suitable for a multitude of fires, including electrical fires, meaning we only needed one at every fire point rather than two. This streamlined things considerably and now makes it easier for the end user, who can simply point and shoot!”
Billy Cunningham is director of fire safety at Landsec, whose property portfolio includes Trinity Leeds and Bluewater shopping centre.
He said: “For a large company like Landsec, the benefit of switching to the P50 was huge. The fact that the water mist P50 is so versatile and can be used to tackle all types of fires experienced in office and public spaces, including live electrical equipment fires, means that we’re typically halving the number of fire extinguishers needed at sites and cutting costs considerably.”
