Portable Fire Extinguisher Requirements
- Portable fire extinguishers must be inspected and tested regularly.fire extinguisher image by Chris Roselli from Fotolia.com
Portable fire extinguishers are not only necessary in commercial buildings but they are a residential obligation as well. They are readily available in hardware stores and come in different classes to combat different potential fires. However, as easy as it is to purchase one, portable fire extinguishers come with specific requirements that must be adhered to by law. - There are five classes of portable fire extinguishers available. Class A is a pressurized water extinguisher for normal combustibles such as wood or paper. Class B is a CO2 or Carbon Dioxide extinguisher used for flammable liquids such as gasoline, oil, grease or paint, while the Class C, also CO2, is used for electrical fires. Class ABC is a multi-purpose extinguisher that can be used on most fires, and Class D is for fires fueled by combustible metals such as magnesium and sodium.
- According to the Fire Codes of Canada and the U.S., there are five basic requirements for portable extinguishers used in commercial buildings. They must be in place, be fully charged and bear a current annual inspection tag. They must be located in an open area near an entrance with visible signs showing their location and they must be mounted a certain distance off the floor based on their weight. They must be distributed throughout the building according to the coverage in square footage and they must be of the classification that relates to the need, such as Class A for building protection or Class A,B,C and D for hazardous occupancy protection. They must be inspected monthly by trained employees and inspected and tested annually by professional examiners, with records on the tags of the dates of maintenance or refills.
- The requirements for the portable fire extinguishers are essential to keep every unit filled and ready for use in their designated locations. In the event of a small fire, an available portable extinguisher may be sufficient to put the fire out. Employees must also be trained to use the equipment and taught how to secure an effective fire escape plan in the event of necessity.
- Whether they are employees at a business or a family at home, people need to have the confidence that there's a portable fire extinguisher that is updated, reliable and will do what is expected of it in the event of an unexpected fire. When the equipment is working up to par and the people are trained, many small fires can be extinguished with little damage or injury.
- The drawback to using a portable fire extinguisher is that sometimes people will, in their eagerness to put out a small fire, assume that a fire has been put out because it appears to be out and they've exhausted the fire extinguisher. However, this can become the setting for a bigger and more destructive fire with no extinguisher to put it out. The fire department should always be notified the instant the fire extinguisher is being used so that a backup plan is in the works just in case the portable fire extinguisher does not suffice.
