What are the Different Types of Fire Extinguishers?
To successfully put out a fire, you need to have the right kind of fire extinguisher. There are different types of fire extinguishers. They vary due to the various classes of fire caused by different fuel sources. To pick the right kind of fire extinguisher, you need to know the class of fire you are dealing with for it to work. Fire extinguishers are colour coded making it easier for one to pick the right one during the case of an emergency. Here are some of the different types of fire extinguishers available and the kind of fire they extinguish:
Dry Powder Fire Extinguisher
The Dry Powder Extinguisher is used on Class A, B, and C fires. Class C fires are fires caused by a fuel source of flammable gases such as methane and butane.
If made of a specific powder, it can also be used on electrical fires and Class D fires. Class D fires are caused by a fuel source of combustible metals such as aluminium and magnesium. The dry powder fire extinguisher is colour coded blue. Life Safety Online supply a wide range of dry powder extinguishers as well as other fire safety equipment.
Carbon Dioxide Extinguisher
Carbone dioxide fire extinguishers are used if the fuel source of the fire is electrical or flammable liquids. These include paints, petrol, and oil. A fire caused by these flammable liquids belongs to Class B of the five different classes of fire.
Under no circumstance should this kind of fire extinguisher be used on Class F fires. It will result in the spreading of the fire as it can cause the oil to move around. This type of fire extinguisher is colour coded black.
Wet Chemical Extinguishers
These fire extinguishers are the only ones that should be used to put out a fire if the fuel source is cooking oils. A fire caused by cooking oils belongs to Class F of the five different classes of fire.
You can use this kind of fire extinguisher to put out Class A fires. However, it will not be as effective as using other fire extinguishers. These kinds of fire extinguishers are colour coded yellow.
Foam Extinguisher
The foam spray fire extinguisher is used to put out fires belonging to Class A and Class B. Class A fires are caused by a fuel source of combustible materials such as paper, fabric, and wood. Class B fires are caused by a fuel source of flammable liquids as discussed earlier.
Under no circumstance should these kinds of fire extinguishers be used to put out Class F fires. These kinds of fire extinguishers are colour coded cream. They are also referred to as AFFF extinguishers.
Water Fire Extinguishers
Water extinguishers are used on fires belonging to Class A. This type of fire extinguisher should never be used to put out Class F or electrical fires. These kinds of fire extinguishers are solid red in colour.
Fire Blankets
Even though it is not an actual fire extinguisher, it is used to extinguish Class B and Class F fires. Fire blankets extinguish a fire by cutting out the supply of oxygen hence they should completely seal the top of the fire.
Placing and Positioning of Fire Extinguishers
The placing and positioning of fire extinguishers should be in areas that are easily accessible and visible. They should also always be ready for use.
The fire extinguishers should be placed on routes that people may use while escaping. These include stairways, landings, corridors, exits, and even lobbies. Alternatively, they can be placed near a call point for a fire alarm so that a person can raise the alarm then take the fire extinguisher.
Also, the positioning of the fire extinguishers should not require a person to move more than 25 meters to access them. Also, a person should not have to look for a fire extinguisher on a different floor or even go through two doors without having access to a fire extinguisher. For emphasis, a sign is put up to show the location of the fire extinguisher.
The sitting of fire extinguishers should be done on an extinguisher stand or mounting on a wall so that the fire extinguisher is not in direct contact with the floor. Mounting brackets are used to mount the fire extinguishers as long as they are the right ones for the type of fire extinguisher. While mounting fire extinguishers, they must be secure so that they do not fall off resulting in unwanted injuries.