Fire Extinguishers

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Fire Extinguishers
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Fire

• Fires are a major hazard and can cause injuries
  in multiple ways.
• Skin Burn
• Smoke Inhalation
• Burned and/or weakened structure resulting in
  falling debris or even collapse.

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• Types of Fires
• Class A Fires combustible materials anything
  that leaves behind ash (wood, paper)
• Class B Fires Flammable and Combustible liquids
  (gas, oil, etc.)
• Class C Fires electrical components and
  equipment.
• Class D Fires magnesium, titanium, potassium,
  and sodium

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• Statistics
• Est. 4,800 construction fires per year
• Approx. 35 million in property damage
• 71 caused by arson and open flames
• Most common sources of ignition
• Matches
• Cutting Torches
• Open fire
• Cigarettes

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Extinguisher Ratings

• Number represents fire fighting capabilities
• The higher the number the higher the fire
  fighting power
• Letter represents type of fire the extinguisher
  is designed to put out
• Extinguishers can have multi-purpose ratings

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Ratings Cont.

• Substitute for 2A extinguisher
• ½ in. garden type hose
• Min. 100ft length
• Equipped with nozzle
• Delivers 5 gals of water per min.
• Min. range of 30ft

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Ratings Cont.

• Substitute for 2A Extinguisher
• 1 ½ in. hose
• Min. 100ft length
• Min. discharge of 25 gals per min.
• Must reach all points of covered area

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Types of Extinguishers

• Water extinguisher filled with water and
  pressurized with oxygen. Only suitable for class
  A fires.
• Dry Chemical extinguisher filled with foam or
  powder and pressurized with nitrogen. Suitable
  for a combination of A, B, and C fires.
• CO2 extinguisher filled with highly pressurized
  carbon dioxide.

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OSHA Regulations

• Employer shall
• provide fire fighting equipment
• periodically inspect fire fighting equipment
• Min. of 2A fire extinguisher for every 3,000sf
  of protected building area
• Max. 100ft travel distance to nearest fire
  extinguisher

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OSHA Regulations Cont.

• Min. one 2A extinguisher per floor of multi-story
  building
• In addition, one shall be located adjacent to
  stairway.
• Min. 10B extinguisher provided within 50ft of
  greater than 5 gals of flammable or combustible
  liquids or 5 pounds of flammable gas.

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Extinguisher rated for A, B, and C fires with
operating instructions on label.
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- CO2 Extinguisher- Leave behind very little
residue- Ideal for class C fires
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• Wall mounted case typical for none residential
  buildings.
• Tag shows date of last inspection.
• Inspections occur monthly.

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Summary

• Always have adequate fire fighting equipment
  available.
• Be sure to use correctly rated extinguisher for
  fire type.
• Have a quick action plan in place to fight fires
  before they spread.
• There is no substitute for safety.