Ban on Halon
EU legislation [3]
Halon has proved to be a very effective solution to the problem of fires on aircraft, so much so that there have been relatively few fatalities due to internal fire on aircraft since its use. Halon has low toxicity, does not damage electrical equipment, does not obscure vision, as a gas it spreads easily, its light weight, and its efficient. The decision to ban its production in 1989 was due to the damage its production caused to the ozone layer, since then aircraft have been using supplies of halon which were already produced, and recycling those materials. However as the the recycling process is not 100% efficient supplies are running out, due to this dwindling supply the EU have brought forward legislation to enforce a ban on the use of halons on aircraft by the year 2017. This decision to ban it was not without its critics as its supply was not predicted to run out for a few decades, and that if new replacement systems could not be designed that would perform to the same standard as halon this legislation could potentially put life safety on aircraft at risk.
The problem is to decide if the EU were right to ban halon on aircraft, this will determine if the work being done to develop new systems is relevant.
The problem is to decide if the EU were right to ban halon on aircraft, this will determine if the work being done to develop new systems is relevant.