What Is the Golden Rule for Fire Extinguishers?

There is a golden rule when it comes to fires and the use of fire extinguishers, and that is: 

If in doubt, get out.

That essentially means, if you’re considering whether you’d be able to tackle a fire confidently and successfully with an extinguisher and you have any doubts, simply evacuate. That’s because, without the right knowledge and training, you might risk worsening the situation or putting yourself and others in danger.

It’s always better to leave the extinguishing of a fire to the professionals if you’re unsure. That way, you can focus on the elements of the four key actions to help save lives and keep people safe.

What are those four key actions? This month at Fire Safety Equipment, we’re sharing these and our tips on selecting the right fire extinguisher to help you understand the right response when faced with a fire.

The Four Actions

• Raise the alarm – The very first thing you should do in the event of a fire is raise the alarm to help alert everyone to the fire. This could be hitting a fire alarm point in a large building or simply shouting out clearly if your premises are small.
  

• Call the emergency services – Next, call the emergency services no matter how large or small the fire may be. This allows the local fire brigade to provide as swift a response as possible.
  

• Use an extinguisher – Remember the golden fire extinguisher rule: only attempt to use an extinguisher if you can confidently tackle it with the right equipment. Otherwise, if in doubt, get out and stay out.The PASS technique can be used for most fire extinguishers. Find out the details of this acronym in our previous article to help you confidently use an extinguisher: PASS in Fire Safety: How to Use a Fire Extinguisher.
  
• Evacuate the building – You and everyone inside the building should evacuate in a calm and orderly fashion. In some cases, you may need to crawl if the building is filled with smoke and/or heat.

Which extinguisher to use for which class of fire

Knowing which fire extinguisher type you should be using is a hugely important part of your decision to tackle a fire safely. Here is an overview of the fire classes and which extinguisher you should be using for each:

• Class A Fires – Water, foam, powder and wet chemical fire extinguishers
• Class B Fires – Foam, powder and CO2 fire extinguishers
• Class C Fires – Powder fire extinguishers
• Class D Fires – Dry powder fire extinguishers
• Class F Fires – Wet chemical fire extinguishers
• Electrical Fires – CO2 fire extinguishers

You can learn more about fire classes and the appropriate extinguishers to use in our previous piece on the topic.

Where can you buy suitable fire extinguishers?

Now you’re familiar with the right action to take and which extinguishers to use, make sure you have suitable fire extinguishers on hand to meet the fire hazards present in your building. Here at Fire Safety Equipment, we offer a full range of fire extinguisher types and sizes so you don’t have to waste your time shopping around to get what you need.

Our high-quality equipment comes highly rated, with a 5-year guarantee and fast, free delivery for all orders to mainland UK locations. Explore our range online today and place your order — don’t get caught out by fire.