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Extinguishers – Fire Safety Appliances
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Types of Fire Extinguishers
Fire extinguishers are not just of one type, so you need to have an understanding of the different classifications that each appliance has and the sort of fire that they are designed to deal with. Choosing the right extinguisher can be a matter of life and death, as some fires can be made worse by using the wrong appliance on it.
We are all familiar with water extinguishers, as these are the most common and can be used on what most of us would consider standard of typical fires. Provided the fire involves organic type material, such as paper, card, wood, etc, a water appliance is absolutely fine. It is for fires of a more specialist nature that other appliances with different classifications must be used.
Every fire appliance will be clearly marked with a classification, which is normally a letter and a number. The letter refers to different classes of fire and therefore tells you the type of fire that extinguisher can be used on. The number is an indication of how effective the appliance is, or how much fire it can put out. By understanding the different fire classes, you can begin to see which type of appliances you will need for your particular workplace or environment.
The following guide refers to the classification system for fires which is used in the UK. Where the class is different in the US this will be stated separately.
Extinguishers – Fire Class A
Appliances marked with an A are safe for fires on common organic material, including cardboard, papers, fabrics, wood, etc.
Extinguishers – Fire Class B
This classification is about fires with flammable liquids, so will include such things as petrol, paraffin, diesel, etc.
Extinguishers – Fire Class C
This is different in the UK to the US. In the UK class C refers to fires with flammable gases like butane or propane. In the US they do not classify this separately, and instead include it under B. Class C in the US is used to define fire with electricity.
Extinguishers – Fire Class D
This category is about combustible metals such as potassium and magnesium, so is a very specialist field indeed. Clearly appliances with this class would only be needed in certain specific industries working with this type of material.
Extinguishers – Fire Class F
Another very specialist area, but this time very common. Class F fires are those involving burning fat or oil, which is a very common hazard in the catering industry. It is usually wet chemical extinguishers that are used for this type of fire. In the US the classification is different, as they use K for this area.
Extinguishers – Fires Involving Electricity
As previously mentioned, fires involving electricity are classed as category C in the US. In the UK, however, there is no separate class for electrical fires, though some people erroneously refer to class E for this.
How To Use Fire Safety Appliances
Fire extinguishers are not difficult to operate you need to allow for the fact that the very time people may need to employ one is likely to be a time when they are feeling under pressure, certainly in a hurry and perhaps not thinking too straight. There are potential dangers if appliances are used in correctly, so it is worth taking some time to understand the basic operating procedures.
The starting point, before anyone goes near an appliance, is deciding whether you expect staff to actually use them at all. If members of your team are going to have a role to play in an emergency and are expected to be able to use a fire extinguisher, they obviously need to know that, but they should also have received some training. It can make a big difference to the confidence of anyone who may need to operate an appliance if they have at least experienced what it is like to use it before.
When it comes to using an appliance, there are a few basic rules that generally hold true. Most importantly, no-one should attempt to tackle a fire that is already well established. Just raise the alarm and get out of the building. Similarly, do not tackle a fire that has produced lots of smoke, because smoke is highly toxic and is the main cause of fire deaths. You may become overpowered far quicker than you think.
Before fighting any fire, make sure you have a safe escape route. You do not know whether the fire may still actually get out of control, and you do not want it to spread between you and your route out. Ideally you should have someone else with you in case you run into difficulties. If you find a fire spreading despite your efforts, give up and get out quickly.
Buy Extinguishers – Fire Appliances For Sale
Go to the main Buy Fire Extinguishers page to find a selection of appliances available to purchase direct from our recommended supplier.
