Types of Fire Extinguishers to Choose from

Posted by vijayvinson on November 25th, 2012

Every building, be it residential or commercial should have the best fire extinguisher in order to be able to prevent disastrous consequences. Every building owner or manager should be aware of the fact that fire is a risk and that he should take all the necessary measures in order to prevent it. This involves purchasing the best fire extinguishers. If you have no idea what fire devices you need, you should consider a fire risk assessment that enables you to understand your fire needs and that involves looking at how you can prevent fire starting, fire spreading and how people can escape from the building.

When it comes to fire assessment, the first thing you should do is determine the fire extinguishers that meet your specific needs. Keep in mind that extinguishers are not all equally efficient in specific environments and it is useful to know that they can be classified in 4 main types: water extinguishers, foam extinguishers, CO 2 extinguishers and dry powder. In the United Kingdom these fire extinguishers have a coloured band in order to be identified fast. Water extinguishers can be used to deal with general fires and they are not recommended for fuel, electrical or gas fires and they come with a red band.

Foam extinguishers have a cream band and they are recommended to be used in oil and chemical fires. Carbon dioxide fire extinguishers with a black band are suitable for any fire, although they are designed mostly for electrical fires. Blue band fire extinguishers contain dry powder and they are mainly recommended for chemical, oil and gas fires.  It is important to become familiar with all of your fire extinguishing options in order to be able to purchase a fire device that meets your specific needs.

Also, it is useful to know that a fire extinguisher is designed for a short duration and its purpose is to control small fires and to enable people to escape safely from the building.  Therefore, all commercial buildings should at least have a fire extinguisher at each exit. Also, these devices should be placed near to major fire doors and you should ensure that the fire distance is never more than 30 meters from one extinguisher to another. Moving on, these extinguishers should be mounted on the wall and they should have clear display boards.

All in all, what you should understand is that a fire extinguisher is an essential component of your safety plans. You should do your best to choose the most adequate fire extinguisher for your business, to ensure that the devices you purchase are positioned correctly and that you have enough devices in the building, to place them at clearly marked fire points and to have them checked and maintained every year. By doing so, you will be able to protect your building and your employees and you will have peace of mind knowing that you have taken all the necessary measures to help you deal with a fire.

We all know how dangerous fires are and how fast they spread and we are not wrong to say that a fire extinguisher is a necessity in any building. We can offer the most effective fire extinguishersat competitive prices and have a friendly and informed customer service team ready to answer any queries you may have.