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Who Is Responsible for Using a Fire Extinguisher in the Workplace?
Portable fire extinguishers in the workplace can help reduce fire spreading and becoming a larger fire. The use of this firefighting apparatus must be carried out by individuals who have received adequate training in their handling.
Any person can use a fire extinguisher as a first-defence tool, for example to make clear an exit blocked by a small fire.
If a fire is deemed too large, it is advised to exit the premises and allow the fire and rescue services to extinguish. If a fire is small, e.g. in a rubbish bin, the suitable fire extinguisher can be used to contain or douse.
Fire Extinguisher Requirements
The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 governs fire safety across England and Wales. The Order dictates that the Responsible Person must ensure that all staff members receive adequate and complete fire safety training, which includes the use of fire extinguishers.
The Responsible Person must make sure this fire-fighting equipment is useable and in easy-to-access locations.
TYPES OF FIRE EXTINGUISHER
Fire extinguishers are versatile fire-fighting safety products that contain varying substances suited to different types of fire. The most common of which include; water, CO2, foam, dry powder and wet chemical extinguishers.
WATER – Fire class: A
Suitable for use in the combustion of organic materials such as paper, wood and textiles, water extinguishers spray controlled liquid water onto class A fires.
CO2 – Fire class: B
Intended for use on electrical and flammable liquid fires, class B fires should be tackled (if safe to do so) with CO2 extinguishers.
FOAM – Fire class: A & B
For use on petrol, oil, fat and paint fires, aqueous film forming foam (AFFF) extinguishers cover A and B class fires.
POWDER – Fire class: A, B & C
Used on mixed medium fires, the dry powder solution is effective against propane, methane and natural gas fires.
WET CHEMICAL – Fire class: F
Specially designed for cooking oil fires, wet chemical extinguishers are found in industrial kitchens, including in hotels, care homes, restaurants and schools.
The full range of fire extinguishers, including details of the available sizes and fire ratings, can be found on our dedicated extinguisher page.
When Should You Use An Extinguisher?
- When a fire has been detected by a person or alarm system
- If the fire is small and contained
- If you have been shown how to correctly use an extinguisher
- You have the correct type of extinguisher for the fire you are facing
Trust the Experts
At Churches Fire & Security, we are experts in business fire and security protection, helping our customers to keep their property, assets and personnel safe from the threat of fire and theft.
We also offer a full range of quality fire and security services including sprinkler systems, visual fire door inspections, dry risers, emergency lighting, fire alarms, CCTV systems, access control, intruder alarms and 24/7 monitoring.
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