Fireaway’s Stat-X^® Achieves Prestigious EN 15276-1 Certification with an UL-EU Mark

Celebrating its 20th year in providing innovative, safe, and effective fire protection, Fireaway—via its flagship product Stat-X^®—has achieved yet another transformative milestone … obtaining EN 15276-1 certification for its foundational ‘E’ series generators.

Many fire suppression agents and systems claim to be effective, but achieving compliance with stringent international standards requires unrelenting commitment and overcoming immense technical and regulatory challenges. At the end of the day, only select aerosols truly perform in a manner that meets rigorous testing requirements and are awarded this coveted designation.

The Significance of EN 15276-1 Certification

EN 15276-1 is the European standard governing the design, testing, and performance of condensed aerosol fire suppression systems. Certification validates that a system can reliably extinguish Class A, Class B, and Class C while ensuring human and environmental safety.

For Stat-X, this certification means:

• Global market access: Compliance with EU standards facilitates entry into Europe’s multi-billion-dollar/Euro fire suppression market.
• Industry credibility: Neutral, third-party validation of efficacy and safety ensures that Stat-X’s claims are credible and trustworthy.
• Competitive differentiation: Stat-X is the only aerosol system worldwide to meet this EN standard through the globally recognized rigor of Underwriter’s Laboratory processes and scrutiny.

The Certification Process

Achieving EN 15276-1 certification is a demanding journey that can take years to complete. The process consists of four stages.

1. Documentation & Design Review
Fireaway Inc. began the process by submitting exhaustive technical documentation on its Stax-X generators to accredited bodies such as UL. These requirements included:

• Component specifications: Detailed schematics of aerosol generators, activation devices, and mounting hardware.
• Safety data sheets (SDS): Toxicity profiles of the aerosol-forming compounds.
• Manuals: Step-by-step guides aligning with EN 15276-1 for system installation and EN 15276-2 for system design.
• Pre-testing readiness: Ensuring all necessary components are available for testing.

2. Fire Performance Testing
The core of EN 15276-1 compliance revolves around extinguishing efficacy. Stat-X underwent and passed five key fire tests:

• Class A – Solid Fuel Compatibility (Wood Crib 1)
  Procedure: Ignite a pan of heptane underneath a wood crib and allow to burn for 2 minutes before extinguishing.
  Requirement: No re-ignition or ember detected 10 minutes after aerosol discharge.
• Class A – Solid Fuel Compatibility (Polymeric sheet fire)
  Procedure: Ignite a pan of heptane beneath an array of four plastic sheets, allow to burn for 3.5 minutes before extinguishing. (3 different plastic types were tested).
  Requirement: No re-ignition or ember detected 10 minutes after aerosol discharge.
• Class A – Solid Fuel Compatibility (Wood Crib 2)
  Procedure: Ignite two wood cribs, separated by a baffle, for a duration of 2 minutes within a 100 m³ test enclosure.
  Requirement: No re-ignition or ember detected 10 minutes after aerosol discharge.
• Class B – Flammable Liquid Compatibility (n-Heptane Pan Fire)
  Procedure: Suppress a fire that contains 12.5 liters of n-Heptane.
  Requirement: No re-ignition, 30 seconds after aerosol discharge.
• Class C – Gaseous Fuel Compatibility (Propane Gas Fire Test)
  Procedure: Suppress a 30-kW propane diffusion flame generated from a triangular sand bed burner.
  Requirement: No re-ignition of the flame 10 minutes after aerosol discharge.

3. Environmental & Mechanical Testing
EN 15276-1 requires effective operation in the face of extreme conditions. Such testing required Stat-X to endure the following with no degradation in performance:

• Temperature cycling
• Vibration resistance
• Corrosion resistance
• Drop testing
• Aerosol flow temperature

Overcoming Challenges

As described in the testing process, EN 15276-1 certification is incredibly difficult to achieve, both from technical and performance perspectives, as well as the cost and time involved. After expending significant time and financial investment, Fireaway’s engineers were able to overcome all challenges which results in superior service and performance to all future Stat-X users worldwide.

What Certification Means for Stat-X’s Business Moving Forward

1. Market Expansion
While Stat-X has achieved significant penetration into the EU market with installations in numerous wind turbines, trains, rolling stock, tunnel boring, and power generation, compliance with EN 15276-1 simplifies approvals under the EU’s Construction Products Regulation (CPR).

2. Environmental Sustainability Alignment
Stat-X’s eco-friendly profile aligns very well with the EU’s Green Deal initiatives, having:

• No PFAS/PFOA ingredients
• Zero global-warming potential
• Zero ozone-depletion potential
• Zero atmospheric life

3. Competitive Advantage
Because Stat-X is the only aerosol system with the EN 15276-1 certification issued by UL International (UK), Stat-X becomes a preferred choice for safety-conscious clients. Certification reassures customers regarding Stat-X’s reliability and product safety which will lead to higher adoption rates. Additionally, clients may receive significant reductions in insurance premiums when employing EN 15276-1-compliant systems, making Stat-X an attractive choice versus non-certified competitors.

Stat-X: One Product, Multiple Applications

Stat-X continues to thrive in the fire protection industry because of its effectiveness, reliability, and safety to personnel and the environment. In service around the world, Stat-X has proven itself as the go-to fire suppression system for a multitude of enclosed applications including:

• Oil & gas
• Marine vessels
• Mining equipment
• Power generation
• Generators
• Tunnel-boring machines
• Battery energy storage
• Buses
• Electrical infrastructure
• Manufacturing
• Trains / rolling stock
• Telecommunications
• Robotics
• Heavy equipment
• Emergency Response
• CNC machines
• Aviation equipment … and many more

Stat-X is versatile and widely accepted because it is effective and safe. Using a proprietary, potassium-based agent, once discharged, it rapidly fills the protected area, disrupting the fire’s chemical chain reaction causing rapid extinguishment. It then remains suspended for several minutes providing reflash protection. Further, it requires minimal cleanup after use.

Stat-X is supplied in a variety of application methods. It can be activated by a fire detection system, manually activated, or set to discharge when exposed to a preset temperature. Hand-tossed models are also available. Depending on the need, both electrically activated and thermally activated units are available in a total flooding suppression configuration.

Other factors making Stat-X such an attractive choice is its compact, yet sturdy design, which is ideal for hot, dirty, and remote locations. Requiring no piping or large banks of agent, Stat-X is easily installed, takes up little room, and is ideal for retrofitting. After Stat-X is installed, the units are virtually maintenance-free, require no complicated testing, and have a 15-year service life.

Stat-X is listed with the U.S. EPA SNAP and approved for occupied spaces; thus, providing assurances for your personnel and the environment. This is no small feat in the current era where fire suppression agents are increasingly coming under intense scrutiny for the risks they pose. Regulatory agencies have determined that some other agents may be unsafe. Further, production of other agents is being curtailed due to environmental concerns. Stat-X users will not be faced with the prospect of costly system replacement or other liability due to these issues.

Conclusion

EN 15276-1 certification was a challenging but transformative achievement for Stat-X. By meeting and exceeding technical and regulatory challenges, Fireaway has positioned itself as a leader in next-generation fire suppression. This accomplishment proves that innovation and resilience can produce a product that has far-reaching implications in a world where effective fire protection has never been more important.

As Fireaway CEO/President Lance Harry P.E. remarked: “This certification stands as a testament to our dedication and commitment to our clients, ensuring their people and assets are protected by the most rigorously tested aerosol technology on the market.”

For industries seeking future-proof fire suppression, Stat-X’s certified success provides the ideal solution.