If you’re running a business, you probably know you need fire extinguishers — but how many? Well, the answer is dependent on the individual business. There is no fixed number we can give as there are a whole variety of factors at play.

Ultimately, a professional fire risk assessment will provide you with specific guidance for your building. However, we are going to answer some key questions concerning how many fire extinguishers businesses need, so that you can get a better idea of what impacts the decision when it comes to compliance with the law.

What are the different fire risks in your building?

You may have noticed that we provide six different extinguishing substances in our fire extinguisher range. That should give you an indication that your choice of extinguisher and the number of them that you require will be dictated by the risks present in your building.

When we’re talking about risks, we mean the most probable way in which a fire might start due to the materials and fuels present. There are multiple fire classes and each has at least one extinguisher type that should be used to tackle it, with some extinguishers able to cover multiple classes. Here is a general overview of how the fire classes and extinguishers pair up:

• Class A fires – Water extinguishers
• Class B fires – Foam extinguishers
• Class C fires – Powder extinguishers
• Class D fires – L2 Powder extinguishers
• Electrical fires – CO2 extinguishers
• Class F fires – Wet chemical extinguishers

With the potential for multiple fire types, you may require more than one extinguisher to meet the varied risks. For example, an office may have lots of paperwork or textiles, requiring a water extinguisher, but there may also be lots of electrical equipment, requiring a CO2 extinguisher, since water cannot be used on an electrical fire.

How big are your premises?

The size of your premises will undoubtedly influence how many extinguishers you require, since there should always be a fire extinguisher within 30 metres to allow for an effective response. 

How many floors your building has will also dictate the number of extinguishers needed, as all separate floors will require their own units. Different formulas take into account different extinguisher types and their capacities in relation to the square footage of your business premises. But since this isn’t the only factor at play, we advise a professional risk assessment to figure out the number more officially within the guidelines, factoring in the unique risks.

What is the minimum number of fire extinguishers?

As a general rule of thumb, you should have two fire extinguishers per floor of your building. However, as we pointed out above, this doesn’t take into account the different risks or the actual square footage that a single storey could cover.

Since non-domestic premises must adhere to the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, it’s a legal requirement for you to ensure you have the appropriate fire-fighting equipment in place. This includes making sure you have the minimum number of extinguishers as outlined in a professional fire risk assessment.

Do I need my fire extinguishers to be commissioned?

While having the right fire extinguishers – and the right number of them – is a great first step, you also need them to be commissioned by a professional for them to be considered up to the legal standard. Commissioning is the process of positioning your units in the right place within your business, carrying out the necessary checks on the units, and then providing you with the right certification to make them legal. This can only be done by a competent person with the relevant training and experience, as highlighted in BS 5306-3: 2009.

At Fire Safety Equipment, we have all the various fire extinguisher types available in one handy store. That means you won’t have to shop around with various suppliers to get everything you need. We even stock different sizes, automatic extinguishers and specialist extinguishers, such as lithium-ion battery extinguishers to meet the dangers that modern tech can pose.

Browse by your business type and order online today to get fast, free delivery of high-quality fire extinguishers in the UK.