Fire 
          Extinguishers

What is it?

A fire extinguisher is a handheld active fire protection device usually filled with a dry or wet chemical used to extinguish or control small fires, often in emergencies. It is not intended for use on an out-of-control fireTo afford compliance with the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, the responsible person must ensure that the premises is equipped with appropriate fire-fighting equipment, where necessary, in order to safeguard the safety of relevant persons. The responsible person must ensure that any non-automatic fire-fighting equipment so provided is easily accessible, simple to use and indicated by signs.

The responsible person must, where necessary:

1. take measures for fire-fighting in the premises, adapted to the nature of the activities carried on there and the size of the undertaking and;
2. nominate competent persons to implement those measures and ensure that the number of such persons, their training and the equipment available to them are adequate, taking into account the size of and the specific hazards involved in the premises concerned.

Classification of extinguishers

Fires are classed according to what is burning and so the fire extinguishers provided should be appropriate to the classes of fire found in your premises.

No single type of extinguisher is totally effective on every kind of fire. So before buying a fire extinguisher, it is vital to look carefully at what type of fire it has to be used on.

Class of fire – description:

Class A – Fires involving solid materials such as wood, paper or textiles.
Class B – Fires involving flammable liquids such as petrol, diesel or oils.
Class C – Fires involving gases.
Class D – Fires involving metals.
Class F – Fires involving cooking oils such as in deep-fat fryers.

What can Firesharp do for me? 

We can provide, Install and service Fire Extinguishers to the requirements of BS5306. We can service all types of fire extinguishers, also providing advice on current practice, and also new developments, an example of this is the explosion of lithium battery based products, especially electric cars, which require a specialist extinguisher. Again we are happy to arrange visits around the customers needs. Fire Extinguishers are serviced annually.