Fire Extinguishers Archives

It’s fair to say that a fire extinguisher is a necessity in any office, home or even vehicle. Having said that, it’s important to note that not all fire extinguishers will put out the same types of fires. In some cases, using the wrong type of extinguisher can make a fire worse.

For this reason, it’s important to know which fire extinguisher will offer the best fire protection for your property. ABC fire extinguishers are often a good choice as they are extremely versatile and can tackle a range of different fire types. Below, we’ll take a look at which types of fires ABC fire extinguishers are suitable for, as well as the corresponding extinguishers for each fire type.

Understanding The Fire Classification

Firstly, it’s important to understand that not every fire is the same. If you try to put out a fire using the wrong type of extinguisher, you may end up doing more harm than good. You’ll need to establish the fire risks at your facility before you can choose an appropriate extinguisher. In the UK, there are five main classes of fire. These are simply categorised by what the fire uses as fuel.

1. Class A (Solids)

Class A fires occur when combustible organic materials, such as paper, wood, and fabric catch fire. As these materials are frequently found in homes and offices, this is one of the most common types of fire.

2. Class B (Liquids)

Class B fires involve flammable liquids, such as petrol, diesel and paint. It’s important to keep any flammable liquids used at your facility away from potential sources of ignition.

3. Class C (Gases)

This type of fire involves flammable gases. Propane, butane and methane are common causes of Class C fires. If you’re working with flammable gases at your facility, it’s important to make sure that such work is carried out by a competent person.

4. Class D (Metals)

Class D fires involve flammable materials, such as magnesium, aluminium and titanium. This type of fire is less common than the other classifications.

5. Electrical Fires

As electricity is considered a source of ignition rather than a fuel, electrical fires do not have their own full class. Instead, they are marked with an electrical spark symbol.

In fact, electrical fires can sometimes fall into other classes. For example, electrical power tools that are used on construction sites can cause sparks to ignite flammable gases. In such cases, this would be considered a Class C fire risk.

6. Class F (Cooking Oils and Fats)

Class F fires can occur when flammable cooking oils and fats are exposed to heat sources and are left unattended during use.

So, What Is An ABC Fire Extinguisher Used For?

ABC extinguishers, also referred to as ABC dry powder extinguishers, are effective against fires involving ordinary combustibles (Class A), flammable liquids (Class B) and flammable gases (Class C). Usually, these extinguishers have a blue label and use a dry chemical called mono-ammonium phosphate. This chemical works to smother flames and put out an array of different fires by separating the fuel from the oxygen.

They are also suitable for use against fires involving electronic equipment designed for use at less than 1000v. On top of this, you can get specialist dry powder extinguishers that are designed to tackle Class D fires involving combustible metals. It is worth noting that specialist dry powder extinguishers may not be effective for all metal fires.

Despite having many uses, dry powder extinguishers should not be used in small or enclosed spaces, unless a fire safety risk assessment concludes otherwise. The reason for this is that the powder can remain in the air even after the emergency is over. When inhaled, this fine powder can impair breathing and potentially trigger an asthma attack. More than that, an ABC fire extinguisher can cause damage to your building and the surrounding areas. This includes damage to electrical equipment and the corroding of metal machinery.

Moreover, as with any type of fire extinguisher, it is important to keep your ABC fire extinguisher well-maintained and serviced to ensure it is always in good working order.

When To Use A Different Type Of Fire Extinguisher

Whilst ABC fire extinguishers can help battle several types of fire, they are not effective for every fire class. With this in mind, it’s important to know when to use a different type of fire extinguisher.

Water Fire Extinguishers

Water-Fire Extinguishers have a red label and are designed to gradually cool down the flames. As this extinguisher can put out common fires, it’s no surprise that this is one of the most popular types of extinguisher. However, water fire extinguishers should only be used on Class A fires.

Foam Fire Extinguishers

Foam fire extinguishers use water to create a foam that doesn’t just cool down the fuel, it also blocks the fire from its source. This makes these extinguishers perfect for tackling Class B and Class A fires. They are characterised by their cream label.

It’s advisable to avoid using a foam extinguisher during electrical or kitchen fires.

CO2 Extinguishers

CO2 extinguishers have a black label and work by suffocating the fire until it runs out of oxygen. They are suitable for use against both electrical and Class B fires.

Wet Chemical Extinguishers

Wet chemical fire extinguishers have yellow labels and coat the flames in a mist of potassium. This is the only type of fire extinguisher that can be used to battle Class F fires.

Whilst you’re in the process of figuring out what type of fire extinguisher you need for your property, have you considered completing a fire safety training course? At Cardinal Fire, we offer expert guidance and advice on fire safety compliance. Get in touch today and benefit from the all-important peace of mind that you’re following the correct fire safety procedures.

All About Fire Extinguisher Testing and Checks

Fire extinguishers are an essential part of any commercial building’s fire safety equipment. To keep your extinguishers operational longer, you need to learn how to take care of them from conducting regular fire extinguisher testing and checks to organising fire extinguisher servicing and maintenance to be carried out by a competent person.

Today, we’ll look at the fire extinguisher testing that needs to be done in order to ensure that your workplace fire safety is up to the latest regulatory requirements in the UK.

Why is Fire Extinguisher Testing Important?

There are three main reasons to do fire extinguisher checks at work:

It’s the law

As per the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 and the BS 5306 (see BS 5306 summary here), regular fire extinguisher testing, servicing and maintenance are mandatory requirements for ensuring fire safety at work. Non-compliance can lead to substantial fines and even jail time if someone gets injured as a result of a fire incident at work where a faulty fire extinguisher was involved.

Fire extinguishers last longer

Regular fire extinguisher testing can increase your fire extinguisher life span. Under UK regulations, it is recommended that fire extinguishers are either replaced every five years (CO2 fire extinguishers should, ideally, be replaced every 10 years) or have an extended service conducted on them at this point, to confirm their usage integrity.

It can save lives

A simple fire extinguisher check can make the difference between life and death in a real fire situation. If issues with the fire protection equipment go unnoticed, this could lead to serious harm either because the extinguisher has malfunctioned and hurt the user or because it has failed to discharge and stop the fire, placing everyone in more danger.

How Often Do Fire Extinguishers Need to be Inspected in the UK?

If you are responsible for fire safety at work, you should ensure that all fire extinguishers are in good working order, by carrying out monthly and annual fire extinguisher checks.

Visual checks should be done at least once per month by the fire marshal in the building to ensure that there’s no visible damage to the equipment. Annual fire extinguisher inspection, on the other hand, requires more specialised knowledge and so they are conducted by a fire safety specialist.

Monthly Fire Extinguisher Testing

When you conduct your monthly visual inspections of all in-use fire extinguishers on the premises, there are several key things to pay attention to:

Broken/missing lock pins, tamper protection and seals
Broken or unstable handles
Missing, damaged or out of date service labels
Blocked, cracked or torn hose/nozzle
Accessibility of fire extinguisher – unobstructed and with clear, legible operating instructions
A full feeling extinguisher with a green pressure dial
Various other indicators of damage, such as leaking, corrosion or signs of tampering

Annual Inspection of Fire Extinguishers

In addition to your usual monthly checks, a competent fire safety engineer should carry out fire extinguisher testing at least once per year. They will perform a full maintenance check of all fire extinguishers in the building. Upon completion of each professional fire extinguisher inspection, you will be given a fire safety certificate to prove that you are compliant with the current fire safety regulations.

As soon as the fire extinguisher has passed the annual service, it will receive a passing tag and be dated. This is used as evidence that you have complied with the legal requirements and also as a reminder to schedule your next inspection on time.

If damages are identified, the fire safety specialist can repair those if possible. However, if the engineer discovers irreparable damages, you must buy a new fire extinguisher to replace the old one.

During the annual fire extinguisher checks, a professional inspector will not merely check the equipment, but will usually be reviewing the placement and structural integrity of the mounting stand/brackets. They will also assess whether your fire extinguishers are (still) a suitable solution for the potential fire hazards in the area where they are located.

Don’t Forget Record Keeping

Record keeping is extremely important to all aspects of fire safety and fire extinguisher testing makes no exception. Every time a monthly visual check is made, this should be logged, including any relevant details of faults that have been discovered.

The same applies to annual checks – these should be thoroughly documented and you should make sure these records are kept safe for at least 10 years. You may need to access these and present them as evidence of your compliance activities if requested to do so by the authorities in the event of a fire incident at work.

Who Should Carry Out Annual Fire Extinguisher Testing?

To ensure regulatory compliance, you should use a BAFE-registered fire extinguisher engineer to conduct your annual inspections. As an independent third-party organisation for the fire safety sector, they verify businesses and their competency in fire protection services.

Fire Extinguisher Testing With Cardinal Fire

Here, at Cardinal Fire Protection, we are BAFE-accredited, so rest assured that any fire extinguisher inspections conducted by our engineers will be up to the highest standards. Learn more about our fire extinguishers servicing options or get in touch on 0845 130 8211 or at sales@cardinalfire.net to book your annual fire extinguishers check today.

Featured Image: Unsplash Licence – Erik Mclean

How long is the fire extinguisher life span & how to extend it?

The fire extinguisher life span isn’t a topic that most regular people would need to know about but if you’ve found yourself in charge of the fire safety of a building, you definitely should. As a responsible person, you’ve probably been going through all sorts of information about fire extinguishers from what types of extinguishers there are to how often you need to get a fire extinguisher serviced and even how to protect your fire extinguishers from vandalism. You may have also thought about where to buy a fire extinguisher or if you need to buy a new one to replace your old one.

So, after having learned so much about fire extinguishers already, the next step is to find out what the average fire extinguisher life expectancy is, whether there’s anything you can do to extend it and whether your fire extinguisher will pass its next safety inspection.

Luckily, we are here to give you all the answers you need!

Fire Extinguisher Life Span

According to the current UK fire safety regulations, it’s recommended that fire extinguishers should be replaced every 5 years. CO2 fire extinguishers make an exception to this rule – they should be replaced every 10 years.

Nothing lasts forever, including fire extinguishers. Even if it hasn’t been used a fire extinguisher has to be replaced after a certain amount of time. Generally speaking, whether a fire extinguisher is still good for use depends on various factors including the product quality, the environment it’s in and how it has been maintained. That being said, even the highest quality extinguishers should not be older than 20 years.

Reasons to service/replace a fire extinguisher sooner

Damaged fire extinguishers also need to be serviced and potentially replaced, regardless of their age, as they would no longer be considered safe to use. Wondering how to find out that something’s wrong with a fire extinguisher? Here are some of the most common problems that can occur and that can easily be spotted by someone who is not a trained fire safety engineer:

Missing safety pin
Cracks, rust, bumps on the canister
Missing inspection tag
Broken or missing tamper seal
Cracked, broken or ripped hose
Cracked, broken or missing nozzle
Any other visible damage to the outer shell

Another thing to keep in mind is that fire extinguishers have to be refilled/replaced after every use, regardless of their age.

How to extend a fire extinguisher’s life span

Like every other product, your fire extinguisher needs regular maintenance in order to function well longer. If not taken care of, your fire protection equipment can degrade over time and get damaged as described above. Regular maintenance by a professional ensures that potential issues are spotted and corrected before they cause a serious problem and spares you the trouble of having to buy a new extinguisher earlier than expected.

Only certified fire safety engineers can carry out these inspections and, under the Fire Safety Order 2005, if you are the responsible person for any property, you must book a fire extinguisher service at least once a year. In addition to that, if you want to extend the lifespan of an extinguisher, you must have extensive fire extinguisher maintenance performed every five years.

For more information on what a fire safety engineer is looking for when testing a fire extinguisher and what should be included in your service and maintenance, check out our fire extinguisher maintenance and servicing guide.

How do you dispose of expired fire extinguishers?

If your fire extinguisher has reached the end of its life span, you will have to dispose of it. The good news is that fire extinguishers are largely recyclable. The bad news is that you can’t simply put a fire extinguisher in your usual recycling bin, as it is considered hazardous waste.

You have a couple of options on how to get rid of an old fire extinguisher. First, you can call the local fire department or fire protection company to ask if you can drop it off there. Fire safety professionals will have usual channels set up to dispose of out-of-date fire extinguishers. However, your local companies may not offer such services.

If that’s the case, you can take your old fire extinguisher to the nearest hazardous waste disposal facility or a large household recycling waste disposal facility. Always give them a ring first to see if there are any special requirements on how you should prepare the extinguisher for safe disposal.

If your fire extinguisher has been discharged and it’s empty, you could take it to a steel recycling centre, if you have one nearby. However, you must check if they offer the service and if they do, you should make sure to release any leftover pressure by pressing the lever to ensure the extinguisher really is empty before you drop it off.

Need to have a fire extinguisher serviced anywhere in the West Midlands? Book your fire extinguisher servicing, whether it’s your service, your 5-year service or an emergency service, with the fire safety specialist Cardinal Fire Protection. Simply give us a call on 0845 130 8211 or email us at sales@cardinalfire.net

The Complete Fire Extinguisher Servicing and Maintenance Guide

Fire extinguishers are an indispensable element of every building’s fire safety equipment and so you are legally required to have fire extinguisher servicing performed annually by a professional (as per fire extinguisher installation and maintenance code of practice – BS 5306-3:2017).

To avoid finding yourself in a dangerous situation when there is a fire but your fire extinguisher isn’t working, you should follow our guide on fire extinguisher servicing and maintenance below.

Why is fire extinguisher maintenance important?

Fire extinguisher maintenance is important because even without being used, fire extinguishers can degrade and sustain damage over time. A faulty fire extinguisher can be less effective and sometimes even completely ineffective. This could result in injury to the user and fire-related damages to both the building and the people in it.

According to the Fire Safety Order 2005, it is your legal responsibility to have your fire extinguishers tested by a professional every 12 months. Booking your annual fire extinguisher servicing ensures compliance with the existing rules and regulations.

Furthermore, the correct fire extinguisher maintenance can make the difference between having a fire under control quickly and efficiently, and facing injury, destruction and a potential tragedy.

How should a fire extinguisher be serviced?

There are three main things to remember about fire extinguisher servicing:

Fire extinguishers must be serviced once a year
Extensive fire extinguisher maintenance must be performed every 5 years
The fire extinguisher servicing and maintenance must be done by a certified engineer

When a fire extinguisher servicing specialist comes over for their annual inspection, they will take a look at all four main parts of the fire extinguisher: tamper seal, gauge, body and hose. They will look for specific defects in each to determine whether your fire extinguisher is suitable for use.

The tamper seal
The tamper seal must be intact. This ensures that the safety pin is safely held in place and that the fire extinguisher hasn’t been discharged.

The pressure gauge
The pressure gauge is used to check whether there’s enough pressure in the fire extinguisher. For it to be functional, the needle must be in the green area of the gauge. The issue is that in some cases, damage or moisture can cause the needle to stick and prevent it from indicating a drop in pressure. So, your gauge could be showing that everything is fine while in reality, your fire extinguisher isn’t functional any more.

The body
Extensive damage to the body of the fire extinguisher can cause it to explode and result in injury for the user. Therefore, during the fire extinguisher serving process, any dents, holes or signs of corrosion will be flagged by the inspector.

In addition to the physical state of the fire extinguisher body, the labelling will also be checked. For a fire extinguisher to be approved, all signage and instructions for use must be clearly legible. If they have faded significantly over time, the extinguisher will be considered unusable.

The hose
Just a small hole or tear in the hose can downgrade the efficiency rating of your fire extinguisher. If the hose is damaged, upon discharge the extinguishing substance can leak through the hose before it reaches the fire, making it much harder to control the fire.

The fire extinguisher service engineer will make sure that there is no visible damage anywhere on the fire extinguisher. Cartridge extinguishers will be opened and each element will be inspected. The mechanisms will be put to a test as well.

If any issues are found, the engineer will raise this with the responsible person and appropriate action will be taken. This may include decommissioning the fire extinguisher unit altogether and replacing it with a new one.

When should a fire extinguisher be serviced and by whom?

There are several scenarios when a fire extinguisher inspection is required. Here’s when you need an inspection and who can perform it:

During installation: Also called commissioning service, the first-ever fire extinguisher test you will have to have done by a professional is at the time of installation to ensure that the unit is fit for purpose
Monthly: A monthly inspection by a designated responsible person (not an engineer) at the building should be done each month to check for visible damage.
Annually: The annual fire extinguisher inspection has to be conducted by a qualified engineer. This is a legal requirement.
Every 5 years: An extensive maintenance inspection should be conducted every five years by a qualified engineer.
In case of damage: If you see any signs of damage to your fire extinguisher during your monthly checks or at any other point, you should call a certified engineer to check those and ensure your unit is still functional.

As a general rule, a fire extinguisher needs to undergo basic service every year to identify any visual signs of damage and corrosion, as well as an extended service (including a test discharge) every 5 years. Both of these should be carried out by a qualified engineer to ensure that the fire extinguisher is maintained in good working condition.

The only exception to this rule is P50 fire extinguishers – they don’t require basic annual servicing as they are designed to withstand damages caused by the weather, scratches or corrosion.

What should the information on a fire extinguisher include?

To be legally compliant, each fire extinguisher must have a label stating:

When it has been inspected
By whom
When the next inspection is due

The cost of fire extinguisher servicing

Every professional fire extinguisher servicing services should be able to provide a complete price list before you agree to book an inspection with one of their engineers. You should always be clear on what needs to be done and how much it will cost, so don’t be afraid to ask questions.

A one-off service charge will always have to be paid for your preferred service type – Basic (yearly) or Extended (every 5 years). This should include the servicing, plus the cost of the parts that will be replaced as part of the routine fire extinguisher maintenance procedure (gauge dots, o-rings and tamper seals). Any additional costs should be clearly specified.

As fire extinguishers maintenance has to be done regularly, you may want to consider a servicing plan for long-term maintenance, rather than having to schedule one-off services every time. It will likely help you save on the cost, as well.

Do all fire extinguishers need to be serviced?

In 2012, a new generation of service-free fire extinguishers was introduced. According to the official UK standard BS 5036-3, if your fire extinguisher has a Britannia P50 kitemark, then you won’t need to call an engineer. The only fire extinguisher maintenance you will need to do is have the fire extinguisher visually inspected by the end user every 12 months.

The P50 fire extinguishers come in foam, powder, and wet chemical varieties and boast a guaranteed lifespan of ten years. As no refilling is required for a whole decade, they ate the most economic and eco-friendly fire extinguishers on the market.

How can Cardinal Fire help?

If you are a business owner in the West Midlands area, the expert fire safety specialists at Cardinal Fire offer exceptional fire extinguisher servicing, including inspections, testing, maintenance and guidance (see our guide to BS5839). With our certified fire safety engineers by your side, you can enjoy peace of mind knowing that your building and the people in it are protected in case of a fire incident.

FAQ

Find out at-a-glance answers to your burning questions about fire extinguisher servicing and maintenance below. For any more information, just get in touch with the team at Cardinal Fire and we will be happy to help.

How often do fire extinguishers need servicing?
The legal requirement is to have a fire extinguisher inspection every 12 months.

Can anyone service a fire extinguisher?
A monthly fire extinguisher inspection can be done by anyone within the business who has had the appropriate training, such as the fire warden. However, the annual fire extinguisher inspection has to be performed by a qualified engineer.

What do I do with old fire extinguishers?
If your fire extinguisher has been flagged as faulty or it has expired and needs to be replaced you have to get in touch with the local fire authorities first to ask if they can help you with that. If they don’t offer such services, you should take your old fire extinguisher to a hazardous waste disposal site. The engineer performing the inspection should be able to advise you on the actions you need to take.

Does a new fire extinguisher need to be inspected?
Yes, when a new fire extinguisher is installed it has to be commissioned by a professional engineer, which means that a fire extinguisher inspection is required.

Do fire extinguishers expire?
Yes, each extinguisher has an expiration date. Most extinguishers last between 5-15 years as indicated by the manufacturer. Regular maintenance ensures that the lifespan of the unit is as long as possible.

Do old fire extinguishers need to be recharged?
Every fire extinguisher must be recharged every 5 years even if it has never been used. If it has been used or damaged has been found, it may need to be refilled sooner.

How often do fire extinguishers need to be maintained?
An extensive fire extinguisher inspection has to be carried out every 5 years to ensure that the fire extinguisher is properly maintained.

Category: Fire Extinguishers

Your Guide To ABC Fire Extinguishers