The manufacture of Halon has been banned since January 1994 in response to the Montreal Protocol. Halon Bank has developed a Halon Management Service to deal with these problems, aimed at helping users to convert from Halon to an alternative and to manage existing resources effectively for essential users.

From the end of December 2002, the refilling of Halon systems will be banned for all but essential users and similarly there will be a complete ban on the use of Halon at the end of December 2003, by which time all portable extinguishers and fixed systems must be taken out of service.

There are five elements:

• Decommissioning, removal and disposal

• Recycling the reclaimed gas

• Storing the recycled Halon

• The safe destruction of Halon if necessary

• Advice on alternative extinguishing agents

Halon Disposal

Halon Bank is licensed to handle Halon. The company employs teams of specialist engineers, trained to decommission Halon systems. Halon Bank also decommissions Halon extinguishers. The company collects the extinguishers from customers' premises and recycles or disposes of the gas safely.

Halon Recycling

The recycled Halon is transferred to Halon Bank's specially designed collecting cylinders. The cylinders are stored at Halon Bank's Halon Bank, where they are monitored regularly to prevent leakage. Halon Bank is able to supply the Halon to customers to recharge fixed systems and operates a 24 hour call out service to deal with emergencies.

Halon Destruction

If Halon has to be destroyed, this can be completed safely using a purpose-built incinerator, which operates at a very high temperature. The incineration system has been approved by the World Environmental Agency, the body responsible for monitoring the destruction of Halon. Confirmation that Halon has been successfully destroyed is supplied to both the customer and the authorities in line with current legislation.