Extinguishers should be located in conspicuous positions, available at all times for immediate use and fitted on brackets or stands where they will be readily seen by any person following an escape route. Fire extinguishers should be securely hung on wall brackets. Where this is impractical extinguishers should be located on suitable extinguisher stands so the extinguisher is not in direct contact with the floor.
If wall mounted the carrying handle of larger, heavier extinguishers should be 1 metre from the floor but smaller extinguishers with total mass up to and including 4Kg should be mounted so that the carrying handle is 1.5 metres from the floor. If possible extinguishers should be sited in such a way that it is not necessary to travel more than 30 metres from the site of a fire to reach an extinguisher.
To avoid confusion and simplify staff training, all extinguishers installed in any one building or single occupancy should preferably use the same method to activate the extinguisher (e.g. squeeze grip).
If different extinguisher types (i.e. Water, Foam, CO2, Dry Powder) are installed a suitable sign providing instruction on the correct use of each extinguisher should be located adjacent the corresponding extinguisher. Basic operating instructions are also printed on each extinguisher. These instructions should be clean and legible (in English) and face outward. Our “Know your Extinguisher” sign provides these details on one sign for use at fire points* where different types of extinguisher are co-located.
*Wherever possible, portable extinguishers should be grouped to form a fire point so employess can more easily locate them in an emergency.
In the home fire extinguishers may be obtrusive if wall hung in living areas. We supply a range of stainless steel and chrome silver finish extinguishers that are aesthetically more pleasing. In the kitchen a 1kg or 2kg powder extinguisher is small enough to be mounted inside an easily accessible cupboard door or utility area. Powder extinguishers are effective on most domestic fires including electrical fires but should not be used on Class F cooking oils and fats. A fire blanket is the preferred safety device for these types of fires in the home but smaller specialist Class F Wet Chemical extinguishers are now available for home kitchen use.
