The People Bulletin

Figures from the UK fire safety industry show that about 80% of all fires are put out using a portable fire extinguisher before the arrival of the fire and rescue service. Furthermore, estimates suggest that extinguishers save 24 lives and prevent 1,629 fire-related injuries each year, as well as saving the UK economy £500 million.

Extinguisher types

There are five main types of portable fire extinguishers, and it is imperative your staff are aware of the different types available, their uses and their limitations.

All extinguishers should now be coloured red to conform to the standard BS-EN 3 – a system that is harmonised throughout Europe. In addition, BS 5786-3 allows for a coloured band of 3 to 5% of the body to be colour-coded, to help people identify the fire fighting agent contained in the extinguisher.

Figure 1 below identifies the different extinguisher types, the coloured band used to identify each one, and the classes of fires they are suitable and unsuitable for.

Figure 1: types of fire extinguisher and their uses

Basic rules for extinguishers

BS 5306-8 sets out guidelines on the selection and installation of portable fire extinguishers in buildings. It is important to note that this guidance should be used in conjunction with the fire risk assessment that has been undertaken for your premises under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 .

The results of this risk assessment will determine the amount of fire fighting equipment needed in the premises, which could be more or less than that recommended by the British Standard.

However, if you decide that you will not comply with at least the basic recommendations of the BS, this will need to be documented on your risk assessment. You will also need to notify the local fire and rescue service and, in the event of a fire at your premises, be prepared to defend the decision in a court of law.

Clause 6.2 of BS 5306-8 states that the basic scale of the provision of extinguishers for a Class A fire is two per storey – or the easy-to-remember equation of :

0.065 x floor area of storey in m².

All other types of fire risk should be evaluated by the risk assessment, and decisions about the types and positioning of extinguishers should be made based on the potential fire hazards in specific areas, in line with the risk assessment findings.

Extinguishers should always be sited in prominent areas where they can be readily accessed by people as they follow an escape route. The type of extinguisher provided in each area should be relevant to the potential fire hazards. For example, a water extinguisher should never be sited in an area full of electrical items, where a carbon dioxide extinguisher will be more suitable, or in a kitchen, where a wet chemical extinguisher will be needed.

Extinguishers should be sited off the ground to avoid rust. The height to handle should be 1.5m from the floor for all extinguishers up to and including 4kg, and 1m for heavier extinguishers. No point in the building should be more than 30 metres travel distance from an extinguisher – room exits, corridors, stairways, lobbies and landings are suitable locations to site them.

Polyethylene fire extinguisher stands are becoming more and more popular and offer the convenience of not having to drill brackets into your walls. They are usually coloured red, which helps to quickly identify the extinguishers in a fire situation. These stands are particularly useful in environments where it is not possible to drill into the walls, or premises where the walls may not be able to accommodate the weight of an extinguisher.

Extinguishers should always be labelled with the following markings:

• the word ‘Extinguisher’
• the extinguishing medium and nominal charge
• the types of fires it can be used on
• the types of fire it is unsuitable for
• instructions for use, featuring pictograms and text
• the restrictions or dangers of use
• the manufacturer/suppliers name and address
• a service label identifying the dates of services
• a separate instruction label above the extinguisher indicating the method of use for each specific extinguisher type

The instructions and labels on extinguishers should ensure that anybody can select and use one in a fire. However, this does not detract from the legal requirement placed on the responsible person for the premises to ensure that all staff have been given suitable and sufficient training.

Training

Staff training in the use of fire extinguishers should cover the following:

• types of extinguishers;
• their uses and limitations;
• staff should only use an extinguisher if it is safe to do so and they have been trained (a decision which can only be made by the staff member at the time of the incident);
• staff should not fight a fire until the alarm has been raised; and
• a clear escape route should be maintained at all times when tackling a fire

The use of a practical live fire simulator can give your staff experience in using an extinguisher. However, the main aim of the session should be to enable participating staff to identify which type of extinguisher is to be used on which type of fire, and to ensure they are aware that they should only fight a fire if they consider it safe to do so, and only after the alarm has been raised.

In recent months, there have been arguments made against the provision of training in the use of extinguishers, with some organisations taking the view that training should simply amount to: ‘do not touch an extinguisher if you see a fire, raise the alarm and evacuate the building’.

The obvious benefits of this approach are the financial savings of not delivering or paying an external organisation to deliver the training. Also, some businesses are wary of the risk of trained members of staff incorrectly using an extinguisher and the possible risk of being sued.

There is a large threat posed by untrained people using the wrong type of fire extinguisher on the wrong class of fire, the outcomes of which could lead to the user’s serious injury or death and the spread of the fire.

However, the question should be asked: what is the main aim of a fire extinguisher? Extinguishers are provided to assist the occupants of a room or area to safely evacuate in the event of a fire – so it is doubtful that businesses can make a valid decision not to train staff in the use and limitations of extinguishers.

When referring to the need for training in the use of fire extinguishers, BS 5306-8 states: ‘It should be realised that the usefulness of portable fire extinguishers depends to a considerable extent on the presence of persons who know how to operate them, and staff should be trained in their use’.

In summary, both the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 and British Standard 5306 call for the provision of portable fire extinguishers in premises. They also place an emphasis on the provision of suitable and sufficient staff training. As a minimum all staff should receive training on recognising the different types of fire extinguishers as part of their induction process. Staff in high risk areas such as kitchens should receive more specialist training on the specific fire hazards and extinguishers in their areas.

If further evidence was needed of the importance of staff training, then look to the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, which places a large emphasis on preventing the spread of small fires. Clearly, extinguishers have a key role, putting out an estimated 80% of fires – most of them small – before the fire service arrives. These fires, if allowed to spread, could put at risk life, property and business continuity.