Fire Extinquishers

There are different types of fires and those different types of fires require different types of extinguishers.

Fires are classified as follows:

Class A

 Ordinary combustibles or fibrous material, i.e., wood, paper, cloth, rubber and some plastics.

 

 

Class B

Flammable or combustible liquids or gases, i.e., gasoline, kerosene, paint, paint thinners and propane.

 

 

Class C

Energized electrical equipment, i.e., appliances, switches, panel boxes and power tools.

 

 

Class D  

Combustible metals, i.e., magnesium, titanium, potassium and sodium, which burn at high temperatures. They give off enough oxygen to support burning. These also may react to other chemicals and water so are very hazardous.

Class K

Involve commercial restaurant cooking oils.

 

There are five classes of extinguishers. Extinguishers are labeled with standard letters and symbols for the classes of fires that they can put out.

Class A

Ordinary combustibles - is made of foam or dry chemicals.

 

 

Class B

Flammable liquids or gases - is made of foam or carbon dioxide or halon.

 

 

Class C

Electrical equipment - is made from dry chemicals or halon.

 

 

Class D  

Combustible metals - is made from dry powder agents designed for these types of metals.

Class K

Involve cooking oils used in commercial cooking equipment.

 

It is important to choose the correct extinguisher for the types of fires you anticipate. There are multi-purpose extinguishers with an ABC rating. These are good for multi-use however you should be aware that ABC-rated extinguishers can harm computers and other electronic equipment. Water extinguishers should not be used to extinguish electrical fires. It is best to research the types of extinguisher you may need with the environment you intend to use it for.

Extinguishers can be purchased from most hardware stores, through extinguisher companies (check your yellow pages) or some department stores.

 

How to use a fire extinguisher:

Remember P A S S

Pull the pin P  Pull

Aim the nozzle A Aim

Squeeze the trigger  S Squeeze

Sweep the extinguisher at the base of the fire  S Sweep

 

Before Fighting a Fire be Sure: