September Safety Subject Portable Fire Extinguishers If a fire is detected, sound the alarm and evacuate the building or have someone else pull the alarm so that help can be on the way. Do not attempt to extinguish a fire larger than a wastebasket size. Position yourself with an exit or means of escape at your back. If you are no longer able to fight the fire, evacuate the building. Remember the acronym PASS. Pull the pin, Aim at the base of the fire, Squeeze the handle, and Sweep from side to side. Common Fire Extinguishers are ABC Type. A is for paper & wood. B is for flammable liquids. C is for electrical fires. Notify maintenance if a fire extinguisher is used or in need of service
Fire Extinguisher Ratings Class A Extinguishers will put out fires in ordinary combustibles, such as wood and paper. The numerical rating for this class of fire extinguisher refers to the amount of water the fire extinguisher holds and the amount of fire it will extinguish. Class B Extinguishers should be used on fires involving flammable liquids, such as grease, gasoline, oil, etc. The numerical rating for this class of fire extinguisher states the approximate number of square feet of a flammable liquid fire that a non-expert person can expect to extinguish. Class C Extinguishers are suitable for use on electrically energized fires. This class of fire extinguishers does not have a numerical rating. The presence of the letter C indicates that the extinguishing agent is non-conductive. Multi-Class Ratings Class D Extinguishers are designed for use on flammable metals and are often specific for the type of metal in question. There is no picture designator for Class D extinguishers. These extinguishers generally have no rating nor are they given a multi-purpose rating for use on other types of fires. Many extinguishers available today can be used on different types of fires and will be labeled with more than one designator, e.g. A-B, B-C, or A-B-C. Make sure that if you have a multi-purpose extinguisher it is properly labeled. This is the old style of labeling indicating suitability for use on Class A, B, and C fires. This is the new style of labeling that shows this extinguisher may be used on Ordinary Combustibles, Flammable Liquids, or Electrical Equipment fires. This is the new labeling style with a diagonal red line drawn through the picture to indicate what type of fire this extinguisher is NOT suitable for. In this example, the fire extinguisher could be used on Ordinary Combustibles and Flammable Liquids fires, but not for Electrical Equipment fires.
How to Use a Fire Extinguisher Pull Aim Squeeze Sweep It s easy to remember how to use a fire extinguisher if you remember the acronym PASS: Pull the pin This will allow you to discharge the extinguisher Aim at the base of the fire Hit the fuel. If you aim at the flames, the extinguishing agent will fly right through and do no good.
Squeeze the top handle This depresses a button that releases the pressurized extinguishing agent. Sweep from side to side.. until the fire is completely out. Start using the extinguisher from a safe distance away, then slowly move forward. Once the fire is out, keep an eye on the area in case it re-ignites. The final rule is to always position yourself with an exit or means of escape at your back before you attempt to use an extinguisher to put out a fire. In case the extinguisher malfunctions, or something unexpected happens, you need to be able to get out quickly. You don t want to become trapped.
TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE Portable Fire Extinguisher Quiz QUESTIONS 1. Do not attempt to extinguish a fire larger that the size of what common object? 2. What does the acronym P.A.S.S. stand for? 3. If a fire extinguisher is rated for Class B fires only, it should only be used on what type of fire? 4. An A-B-C type fire extinguisher is also known as what type? 5. What should always be at your back if you choose to fight a fire with a portable fire extinguisher?
Portable Fire Extinguisher Quiz ANSWERS 1. Wastebasket 2. Pull, Aim, Squeeze, and Sweep 3. Flammable Liquids 4. Multi-Class or Multi-Purpose 5. Exit or means of escape