Fire Extinguishers

Agencies and other headaches, keys and cleaners, running costs and contracts...in short, all the things we spend so much of our time doing behind the scenes.<br>
Kgreen
Posts: 23
Joined: Mon Feb 27, 2017 2:13 pm
Location: Lavenham, Suffolk

Fire Extinguishers

Post by Kgreen »

Hi all,

I am very close to launching now, and I just cannot find clear instructions anywhere on which type of extinguisher to purchase. It seems a powder one is 'multipurpose' and although sold on many websites as a domestic / home fire extinguisher, I also read that they are not actually suitable for indoor use due to inhalation of powder residue and restricting vision!! Very misleading indeed... Any idea's?

Thanks!

Katie
User avatar
PW in Polemi
Posts: 1781
Joined: Sun Oct 21, 2012 5:23 am
Location: A village in Paphos, Cyprus

Post by PW in Polemi »

You could always ask your local Fire Brigade for advice - they're the experts, after all! :D
Dogs have masters. Cats have slaves!
User avatar
greenbarn
Posts: 6146
Joined: Sat May 30, 2009 6:41 pm
Location: The Westmorland Dales, Cumbria

Post by greenbarn »

We were specifically advised against powder - the amount of mess they leave is probably worse than if the whole place had burned to the ground.
We were advised to go with foam. The most important thing is a fire blanket for the kitchen.

Different “experts” from different authorities have personal views on the whole topic; there’s a strong and valid school of thought that says that if there are extinguishers then people will try and use them - with no idea what they’re doing - when they should be concentrating on getting to safety. Make sure your evacuation notice tells people to GET OUT and not faff about playing fireman (in so many words!)
Advice is inconsistent; problem is that having sought it from an “expert” you’re sailing close to the wind if you don’t follow it.
The government information on complying with fire safety law is essential reading, and you should have a copy. If you haven’t, you can download here
newtimber
Posts: 1945
Joined: Sat Nov 24, 2012 5:57 pm
Location: Brighton
Contact:

Post by newtimber »

For the kitchen you'd be better with powder because of electrics. For elsewhere water or foam.
User avatar
greenbarn
Posts: 6146
Joined: Sat May 30, 2009 6:41 pm
Location: The Westmorland Dales, Cumbria

Post by greenbarn »

newtimber wrote:For the kitchen you'd be better with powder because of electrics. For elsewhere water or foam.
Check out the advice on this website - it’s the UK Fire Service
Foam extinguishers are safe for use with electrical equipment if they had a successful dielectric test and are used at a safety distance of 1 meter. The electrical equipment will of course be damaged by the liquid.
Powder Fire Extinguishers, such as ABC powder extinguishers or dry powder extinguishers, are suitable for fighting class A,B and C fires. ABC powder extinguishers have a very good fire fighting capacity, but the powder does not soak into materials and does not have a good cooling effect on the fire. This can result in the fire re-igniting, if it is not properly extinguished. Care must be taken when using powder extinguishers that you do not inhale the powder. Powder extinguishers should therefore not be used in small, confined spaces where there is a risk of inhaling the powder. In fact the British Standard does not allow powder extinguishers in offices and living accommodations any longer. The clean up after applying a powder extinguisher is also very difficult and the powder causes damage to soft furnishing, carpets and computer drives etc. So a careful balance has to be struck between the generally quite cheap but powerful powder extinguishers and the cleaner, but less powerful and sometimes more expensive foam / water (with additive) extinguishers.
Moonshine
Posts: 42
Joined: Thu Jun 30, 2016 2:08 pm
Location: South Devon, UK
Contact:

Post by Moonshine »

I’m interested in this issue too as I’ve got to buy new fire extinguishers both for my house and for my holiday cottage (where I don't have a deep fat fryer or allow smoking). Plus new fire blankets. How about water mist extinguishers? Seems as though they can be used on pretty much anything, including electrical fires.
Dan999
Posts: 1
Joined: Thu Jun 01, 2017 10:34 am

Commander MultiChem

Post by Dan999 »

You should look at the new MultiChem extinguishers from Commander. They are rated for pretty much every fire - Class A, Class B, Class F and electrical fires. The fire ratings are much much higher than water mist too, meaning the extinguisher is more powerful and effective. You can get them in 2, 3 and 6 litre sizes - the 2 and 3 are ideal for small kitchens. Their website is http://www.commanderfire.com/commander- ... multichem/
Annieb
Posts: 11
Joined: Thu May 11, 2017 7:20 am
Location: North Cornwall

Fire Extinguishers

Post by Annieb »

I am a little unsure what to do at the moment after a fire check.I had looked on the internet and phoned the local fire station who recommended I purchase a CO2 extinguisher for our holiday rental. I also purchased a 1 metre British standard fire blanket from amazon, and plug in emergency torch. I then paid for a fire inspection as I wanted to be sure everything was ok as I am new to the rental industry. The man who came was supplied by the holiday company we are going to advertise with though of course we will be paying him for the visit. He said that we should replace the CO2 extinguisher for a foam one as he feels the CO2 ones are dangerous to operate in inexperienced hands. He also said the fire blanket should be 1.1 metres wide and we should install a keyless lock on the front door which is probably the main escape route at night ( though we are a bungalow) He suggested a yale type lock and we currently have just had a mortice lock fit on the new front door It is very difficult to know what to do when you get conflicting advice. I would love to know what others have done when starting out.
newtimber
Posts: 1945
Joined: Sat Nov 24, 2012 5:57 pm
Location: Brighton
Contact:

Re: Fire Extinguishers

Post by newtimber »

Annieb wrote: He suggested a yale type lock and we currently have just had a mortice lock fit on the new front door It is very difficult to know what to do when you get conflicting advice. I would love to know what others have done when starting out.
A Euro thumbturn lock has the security you need plus the ability to open the door from the inside without a key.
zebedee
Posts: 1270
Joined: Fri Sep 12, 2014 2:57 pm
Location: yorkshire dales

Post by zebedee »

What appropriate qualifications did the man from the advertising company have?
He speaks about his"views" on inexperienced people handling equipment, but who is he?? A retired fire officer, or a health and safety boffin? (Apologies if I am offending anyone, but you get my gist)

I know this is a particularly sensitive area in light of Grenfell, but
I would be inclined to go with the advice from the fire service as they should be the most up to date.
User avatar
greenbarn
Posts: 6146
Joined: Sat May 30, 2009 6:41 pm
Location: The Westmorland Dales, Cumbria

Post by greenbarn »

zebedee wrote:What appropriate qualifications did the man from the advertising company have?
He speaks about his"views" on inexperienced people handling equipment, but who is he?? A retired fire officer, or a health and safety boffin? (Apologies if I am offending anyone, but you get my gist)

I know this is a particularly sensitive area in light of Grenfell, but
I would be inclined to go with the advice from the fire service as they should be the most up to date.
I find it hard to believe that a CO2 extinguisher would be advised. They are highly unsuitable for certain types of fire, one of which is the fairly common fire in a wastepaper basket where use of a CO2 extinguisher would blast the burning paper over a wide area, still burning. Result - one fire becomes several. How about blasting a frying pan fire? Blow the burning oil from the pan at high velocity, it hits the splashback and bounces back on you. Maybe he was having a bad day at the office...
From the fire service website:
CO2 extinguishers are NOT suitable for deep fat fryers, as the strong jet from the extinguisher carries the burning fat out of the fryer and into the room!

The suggestion for keyless exit is standard and any fire risk assessment should throw this up as necessary. As newtimber suggests, a Euro cylinder lock can have a thumbturn on the inside.
Post Reply