AFT_B912

around your property and you should be able to identify areas where other fire types might arise. Matching the fire with the fire extinguisher Over the years, different types of fire extinguisher have been developed to deal with the different fire types. Here are the types of fire extinguisher, their colour code (put on the extinguisher for quick identification) and what types of fire they are suitable for: Water (red label): Class A only Water Mist (white label): All classes Foam (cream label): Class A & B Dry Powder (blue label): Class A, B, C & some electrical Carbon Dioxide (CO2) (black label): Class B & electrical Y ou probably walk past the fire extinguishers in your workshop every day without a thought. Those little devices might be primed and ready for action when needed, but are you? Do you know how to use one? Do you know which types you should be using? How often should they be serviced? And what to do with out of date ones? Even if your premises are kitted out with the latest fire detection and suppressant systems, fire extinguishers are an essential asset when it comes to proofing your building and its valuable contents against a fire emergency. They can help control small outbreaks of fire quickly, preventing flames from spreading and causing more damage. In more severe emergencies, fire extinguishers can save lives, helping keep an evacuation route clear and providing crucial access to escape points. The Chief Fire Officers’ Association (CFOA) estimated that 60% of private businesses never recover from a fire. In the UK and Wales, The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 includes the present fire extinguisher rules that you’ll need to abide by. A good fire company can explain what you need to comply with the Order, but if you are responsible for fire safety in your company you must have a basic understanding of fire extinguishers. That has to start with an understanding of fire itself. Classes of fire “There’s no smoke without fire,” or so the saying goes. If only it were that simple. True, the two go hand in hand, but you may be surprised to realise there are different types of fire, with different characteristics. 18 AFTERMARKET DECEMBER/JANUARY 2020 BUSINESS www.aftermarketonline.net FIRE EXTINGUISHERS: WHAT, WHERE, WHY AND HOW What do you know about fire safety in the workshop? Read this and you may never look at a fire extinguisher in quite the same way again Some fires smoulder with large amounts of smoke and others are the opposite – fast flaming fires with almost invisible smoke. Here are the six classes of fire pertinent to most commercial premises: Class A: fires involving solid materials such as wood, paper or textiles Class B: Fires involving flammable liquids such as petrol, diesel or oils Class C: Fires involving gases Class D: Fires involving metals Electrical Fires: Fires involving live electrical apparatus (it doesn’t get an ‘official’ category) Class F: Fires involving cooking oils such as in deep-fat fryers Class A is the most common fire type, but obviously in a workshop such Class B takes pole position. Walk ater W P o r e wd Dry a m Fo a r bon d C C or use on: F or use on: F or use on: F or use F extiles etc T , r ood, WPape Gaseous Liquids Flammable extiles etc T , r ood, WPape Liquids Flammable extiles etc T , r ood, WPape e Fir Ele ex T oWPap es Fir Electrical es Fir BY Ashley Hickling, Fire Sales Manager, STANLEY Security