Fire Extinguishers: Are Your Employees Ready to Use Them?

Written by Andy Lacewell, West TN Property Loss Control Consultant

October is National Fire Prevention Month, making it the perfect time to check your extinguishers. A portable extinguisher can turn a small fire into a minor incident, but only if the right unit is in the right place, in working order and in the hands of someone trained to use it.

Who Will Use Your Extinguisher?

Most members will want employees to be able to put out a small fire. If so, annual training is a must for either of these groups:

1. All employees- Train everyone annually.
2. A designated group- Often called an "incipient fire brigade,” train that group annually and have everyone else evacuate.

The only way to avoid training is an emergency action plan that instructs everyone to evacuate immediately. Otherwise, training should cover how to select and operate an extinguisher, the hazards of fighting incipient fires, and above all the "fight or flee" decision: knowing when not to fight a fire. We recommend training new employees as soon as they start work. Live-fire training isn't required, but it greatly improves effectiveness, so consider it periodically.

Match the Extinguisher to the Hazard

• Class A: Wood, paper and plastics
• Class B: Flammable and combustible liquids and gases
• Class C: Energized electrical equipment
• Class D: Combustible metals
• Class K: Commercial cooking oils and grease

Placement Rules of Thumb

Place a Class A extinguisher within 75 feet of any point in most areas, and a Class B within 50 feet where flammable liquids or gases are present. Add Class C extinguishers where electrical fires are likely or where the public might need to grab a unit, Class D where combustible metals are ground or machined, and Class K near cooking with oils or grease. Mount each on an approved bracket, facing the exit access from the area it protects and no higher than 60 inches.

Keep Them Ready

An extinguisher that doesn't work is worse than none. Two routine checks keep them reliable:

• Annually: A qualified fire equipment vendor services and tags each unit.
• Monthly: You visually check and log each unit. Confirm it is in place and unblocked, the gauge (if equipped) is in the green, the pin seal is intact and it looks ready for use.

Your Next Step

Walk your facilities this month. Confirm each extinguisher is in place, matches the nearby hazard, has a current tag and that your emergency action plan matches your training.

Questions about extinguisher selection, placement or training for your facilities? Contact your PEP Loss Control Consultant.