CB Frost Keeping Railway Industry Fire Safety Standards on Track

When it comes to choosing the right materials for use in the rail industry, in addition to functionality and durability, safety is one of the most important factors to take into account. Fire safety in particular must be carefully considered. Fire safety for rail materials rests on choosing materials that not only limit the development and movement of fire, but also produce low levels of smoke and toxic fumes should there be a fire. It’s therefore important that rail materials pass standard industry tests to prove their fire safety.

In Britain, there are a number of recommended rail industry standards that sealing and gasket materials should meet, including BS6853:1999, EN45545 and NFF-16-101 for fire safety and the LUL (London Underground) safety standards.

In the future, regulations for fire safety in rolling rail stock are to become stricter. From 2018 onwards, EN45545 fire safety tested materials will be mandatory throughout Europe. This standard will require almost everything weighing more than 100 grams on a rail vehicle to be tested rigorously for fire safety. This means that any manufacturer involved in building rail carriages will be affected:

• Door seals
• Lighting enclosure gaskets
• Smoke seals
• HVAC seals
• Gap fillers
• Seating cushions and upholstery
• Vibration isolation
• Acoustic barriers
• Lighting and LCD display gaskets

CB Frost Rail Sector Materials

Our range of BISCO® cellular silicones comply with the most stringent industry requirements for fire, smoke and toxic fumes, and are suitable for use in extreme temperatures, both low and high. Our cellular silicone rail materials meet BS6853:1999, EN45545, NFF-16-101 and London Underground safety standards.

Available rail materials include:

• BF1000 silicone foam
• BF2000 silicone foam
• HT800 silicone sponge
• MF1 silicone foam
• MF775 silicone rubber

To learn more about our range of materials, please click here.

As specialist suppliers of materials for the rail industry, we pride ourselves on our extensive range of materials to suit different applications, as well as our excellent technical knowledge to help you find the best suited material for your rail industry requirements. Understandably, fire safety standards will continue to be revised and amended – you can be confident that CB Frost will always stay ahead of the game to provide compliant materials.

CB Frost should be your first point of call for all your specialist rail industry needs. Call our friendly and knowledgeable team today on +44 (0) 121 773 8494.