How to Choose a Correct Type of Fire Extinguisher for Your Sector?

Equip Your Space

Fire extinguishers are of prime importance when it comes to managing fire-related issues. When used in appropriate ways, fire extinguishers turn out to be boons for people and constructions. They protect the most valuable lives of people working in offices as well as at various constructions. They also shield premises as well as possessions against the devastation of fire. However, for every different sector comes a new type of fire extinguisher. Hence, it is very vital to know which type of fire safety equipment is appropriate for sectors and people. Moreover, teaching and guiding the staff about fire extinguishers and their uses in emergencies, hold great significance.

The right fire extinguisher for a place decides, depending upon the nature of work being done there. Besides that, it depends upon the type of fire and the environment of working. However, using an extinguisher inappropriate for the type of fire altogether can do more harm than good. In this article, we will discuss various facts about fire extinguishers and how to choose the correct type of fire extinguisher for different spaces.

Which kinds of fire extinguishers are there?

The available fire extinguishers are of different types and have been made to put out particular classes of fires. The most common types include:

Water extinguishers

Foam extinguishers

Dry powder extinguishers

CO2 extinguishers

Wet chemical extinguishers

Having the right fire extinguisher in your building can make all the difference to the way you will be handling the case of a fire emergency. A fire risk assessment is necessary to choose the appropriate kind of fire extinguisher for your industry. This will first see what risks may exist in your environment so that you can use the right tools to deal with them.

Which fire extinguisher types will work?

1. At Construction

On a construction site, safety holds a critical position, and the fire risks prevalent in the construction sphere differ from those at an office. Some of the common fire risks are spotted on a construction site, namely,

Risks:  materials found on site, such as waste material, wood, flammable liquids and electrical fires

Recommended fire extinguisher: dry powder

Risks: cooking appliances, such as deep fat fryers, and oils of on-site canteens or cooking facilities.

A wet chemical fire extinguisher is recommended.

1. Education

Whether small or large, whether schools or universities, fire safety is essential no matter what type the institution is. Buildings used for education include a variety of possible fire hazards, such as:

Paper, wood, textiles, and plastics are among the items that can catch fire.

Suggested fire extinguishers include wet chemicals, foam, powder, or water.

Propane, butane, and methane are examples of flammable gases that can cause fires in science labs.

Suggested fire extinguisher – Dry powder

Open fires – Bunsen burners are potentially a fire risk

The first Suggested fire extinguisher is – water

Electrical equipment in potentially fire-risk areas, e.g. reception desks, science labs and IT suites.

Suggested fire extinguishers – CO2 or dry powder.

1. Hotels

Hotels themselves can often contain a plethora of potential fire risks. And hence, fire safety is the number one role for hotels and can involve a multitude of potential fire risks due to the open nature of these buildings. The most common fire risks in hotels are:

Combustible materials such as wood and paper from waste, or textiles such as clothing or bed linen, are potential fire risks.

Suggested fire extinguishers – Foam, water, dry powder or wet chemical

Flammable liquids – alcohol etc (potential fire risks)

Suggested fire extinguishers- Foam, dry powder, or CO2

Flammable gases such as propane and butane, fuel heaters, pools, cookers

Suggested fire extinguisher – Dry powder

Cooking appliances and cooking oils (kitchen and restaurants) are potential fire risks.

Wet chemical recommended fire extinguisher.

1. Transport

The range of transport modes is very high, as it comprises cars, commercial vehicles, HGVs, taxis, caravans and motorhomes, and also public transportation through buses, trams, and coaches. Vehicle depots, like all these, require protection against fire hazards.

It includes flammable liquids such as petrol and diesel; and potential fire risks.

The recommendations for fire extinguisher type – foam, CO2, dry powder

The Final Word

Undoubtedly each sector is different when it comes to fire safety and you gotta choose the best type of fire extinguisher for the safety and well-being of everyone. A fire risk assessment should be conducted by professionals determining the type of fire safety to help to determine the right fire extinguisher for your building.