Investing in safety: Newhaven Port

Investing in safety: upgrading fire protection at Newhaven Port

As part of ongoing improvement projects across Newhaven Port, with a strong focus on health and safety, we have recently completed a major upgrade to our on-site fire protection equipment.

The Port has now replaced its existing water and CO₂ fire extinguishers with P50 eco-foam fire extinguishers across the site — a significant investment in the safety of our staff, visitors, and buildings.

Why P50 fire extinguishers?

P50 fire extinguishers represent a substantial improvement on traditional fire-fighting units. One of their key advantages is that they are single-use, multi-class extinguishers, which remove the need for multiple extinguisher types in the same area.

In an emergency, this simplicity matters. By eliminating confusion around fire classes and extinguisher selection, P50 units help ensure faster, more confident deployment when every second counts.

Multi-Class fire protection

The new P50 foam extinguishers are suitable for use on:

• Class A fires – flammable solids (e.g. wood, paper, textiles)
• Class B fires – flammable liquids
• Class F fires – cooking oils and fats
• Live electrical fires – tested for use up to 1000 volts (1kV)

Because of their higher fire rating, one P50 extinguisher can often replace two, and sometimes three traditional extinguishers, improving coverage while reducing overall equipment clutter.

A safer, more sustainable choice

Alongside improved performance, the P50 extinguishers also support Newhaven Port’s wider environmental and legislative responsibilities:

• The P50s are kinder to the environment, removing harmful fluorides in line with current and emerging legislation.
• The have a 10-year warranty, a 20-year life cycle and do not need a service contract compared to conventional extinguishers.

This upgrade reflects a long-term commitment not only to safety, but also to sustainability and responsible operations.

Ongoing maintenance and training

Future annual inspections of the P50 extinguishers will be carried out by appropriately trained members of the Port team, allowing for efficient in-house checks while maintaining compliance.

Staff have been provided with supporting information and a short instructional video explaining how to safely use the new P50 fire extinguishers and are encouraged to familiarise themselves with the updated equipment.

A commitment to safety

This fire extinguisher upgrade forms part of a broader programme of safety improvements taking place across Newhaven Port. It represents a real and tangible investment in protecting our people, infrastructure, and operations ensuring the Port remains a safe, compliant, and forward-thinking working environment.