Fire Extinguisher Services
Fire Extinguishers are a basic requirement in all business and residential buildings. They are used to control or extinguish small fires. It is important that the correct extinguisher is positioned correctly and easy to access in the event of an emergency.
Fire Guard Services provide quality advice and fire extinguisher services throughout Herts, Beds and Bucks.
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.
The use of a water fire extinguisher is NOT suitable for flammable liquids as it will not be able to extinguish the fire and could potentially cause an explosion. They are also NOT suitable for 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 for use on flammable liquid fires.
They CANNOT be used on electrical fires or flammable metal fires as this extinguisher as it is unsafe and can end up escalating the fire rather than 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, or fires involving flammable metals (unless it is a “specialist” dry powder extinguisher). In these circumstances, the use of a powder fire extinguishers can exacerbate 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.
They are NOT suitable for electrical, flammable liquid or gaseous fires as it could end up spreading the fire and making the situation worse.
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 and electrical fires. They are NOT for use on wood, paper or fabric fires.
They are also NOT suitable for cooking fires that involve oil and grease (such as chip pan fires) as the extinguisher could end up blasting the flames into surrounding areas.
