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The Right Extinguisher For The Right FireRonald Porep, Republished from SafetyIssues Issue 5 |
Volume 4 Issue 42May 2005 |
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You are looking in the refrigerator for the catsup when you suddenly smell smoke. You quickly turn towards the stove where you see the grease in the frying pan has caught on fire. The flames are shooting higher and higher as you look on in panic. What do you do? You are in the office when you smell smoke. You look and see that the paper in your wastebasket has caught on fire. You and others watch in alarm as the flames get higher and higher. What do you do? |
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You are in your workshop when you hear a loud crackle. You see that the
electric saw you had just been using has caught on fire. Flames shoot
from the saw as you watch in terror. What do you do?
No matter how big or small the fire, the first thing you do is call the fire department or pull the fire alarm so that your main line of defense against the fire is on its way as soon as possible. Minutes count! Now, you may think that grabbing the fire extinguisher is your next action but you would be wrong. Instead, you need to determine if a fire extinguisher will do you any good in this fire. If the fire is contained – like in a waste basket or in a pan on the stove – you may be able to fight it with the right fire extinguisher. If, however, the fire has spread you should evacuate immediately and wait for the firefighters outside. This decision must be made quickly so – in the case of a house fire – you may want to evacuate your family while you decide what you should do about the fire. If you decide that you can put out the fire because it is highly contained then you must determine if you have the right fire extinguisher for the fire. Four Types of Fire Extinguishers There are four basic types of fire extinguishers though many are now made to handle all types of fires. If your extinguisher has the letters A, B, C on it in large letters then you do not have to worry about the type of fire you are fighting. If though, the fire extinguisher has only one or two larger letters on it then you have to quickly decide if the fire suppressor you have is the right tool for the fire you have. Class A fire extinguishers are used on common combustibles – putting out the fire by cooling and then soaking the fibers to prevent reignition. Class B fire extinguishers are used on flammable liquids and greases and gasses – putting out the fire by removing the oxygen in the area and preventing any vapors from reaching a new ignition source or restarting the chemical chain reaction that started the fire in the first place. Class C fire extinguishers are used to extinguish fires in energized (live) electrical equipment by using a medium not capable of conducting electricity such as carbon dioxide, dry chemicals or Halon. Class D fire extinguishers are used for combustible metals.
If your extinguisher has all four letters on its casing then
it can safely be used to extinguish any of the fires the individual class
fire extinguishers are designed to put out. In using any fire extinguisher, use the PASS rule. Pull the pin which unlocks the operating lever allowing you to discharge the extinguisher. Aim the fire extinguisher low pointing the fire extinguisher horn, hose or nozzle at the base of the fire. Squeeze the handle which discharges the extinguishing agent. Keep squeezing so you provide a constant flow of the extinguishing agent. Releasing the lever stops the discharge so you do not want to do that as an uninterrupted flow is critical in effective fire fighting.
Sweep from side to side moving closer to the fire as it becomes
smaller. Keep the nozzle aimed at the base of the fire until the fire
appears t be extinguished. Keep an eye on where the fire was in case it
reignites and you need to spray it again to extinguish it. If the fire can not be extinguished by the fire extinguisher you have then get out immediately. Whether you are at home or in the office, you should know where to go to escape a fire. Having fire ladders at home for the second floor is a great idea. Everyone should know how to use the fire ladders and how to get out of the house when fire strikes. Have a meeting place outside so you know when the firefighters arrive that everyone is out and safe. Knowing what you are doing when a fire ignites can keep you and your family from becoming fire fatalities. |
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