Fire Extinguisher Services Hertfordshire
Fire Guard Services’ team of engineers specialise in the supply, installation and maintenance of fire extinguishers in both commercial and residential properties.
Fire extinguishers are a key component of a premises’ fire safety strategy and must be accessible and in perfect working order at all times.
Fire extinguishers are used to control or extinguish small fires and their regular maintenance is part of British fire safety regulations under The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005.
Our highly trained fire extinguisher engineers are FIA (Fire Industry Association) and BAFE (British Association of Fire Engineers) certified and are able to advise on:
- Extinguisher types: Co2, Foam, Water, Power and Wet Chemical
- Fire extinguisher servicing and maintenance
- Access
- Positioning and how many units are required
- How to use them
Water Fire Extinguisher
A water fire extinguisher is usually labelled with a white label that says “WATER”. Water fire extinguishers have a class A rating and are safe for use on wood, paper and fabric fires.
A water extinguisher is NOT suitable for:
- Flammable liquids, such as oil, as it will not be able to extinguish the fire and could potentially cause an explosion
- Electrical fires as using a water fire extinguisher on an electrical fire puts the user at risk of electrocution
Foam Fire Extinguisher
A foam extinguisher is identifiable by a cream coloured label that reads “FOAM”. These can be used for wood, paper and fabric fires. Foam extinguishers are also safe to use on flammable liquid fires.
The use of a foam fire extinguisher is NOT suitable for:
- Electrical fires
- Flammable metal fires
Using a foam fire extinguisher on these types of fires can actually help escalate a fire, instead of extinguishing it.
Powder Fire Extinguisher
A powder fire extinguisher can be identified by a blue label that says “POWDER”. Powder extinguishers can be used on wood, paper and fabric fires. They can also be used on flammable liquid fires, gaseous fires and even electrical fires and are recommended for use in plant and boiler rooms.
Powder extinguishers CANNOT be used on:
- Fires involving cooking oil (such as pan fires)
- Fires involving electrical equipment that exceed 1000v
- Fires in enclosed spaces
- Fires involving flammable metals (unless it is a “specialist” dry powder extinguisher)
In these circumstances, the use of powder fire extinguishers can escalate the fire rather than extinguish it.
Wet Chemical Fire Extinguisher
A wet chemical fire extinguisher can be identified by a yellow label that states “Wet Chemical”. Wet chemical extinguishers can be used on wood, paper and fabric fires. They are mainly used for cooking and deep fat fryer fires.
Wet chemical extinguishers are NOT suitable for:
- Electrical fires
- Flammable liquid fires
- Gaseous fires
Again, in these circumstances, the use of wet fire extinguishers can escalate a fire rather than extinguish it.
CO2 Fire Extinguisher
CO2 fire extinguishers can be identified by a black label reading “CO2”. CO2 fire extinguishers are safe for use on flammable liquid fires and electrical fires.
Co2 extinguishers are NOT suitable for use on:
- Wood fires
- Paper fires
- Fabric fires
- Cooking fires that involve oil and grease (such as chip pan fires) as the extinguisher could end up blasting the flames into the surrounding area
