A fire extinguisher is always needed to tackle a fire outbreak at its early stage. Fire is caused by combustion, in which substances combine chemically with oxygen from the air and typically give out bright light, heat, and smoke. This post aims to give you an understanding of how to operate your fire extinguisher.
Fire is a very common word used very often, but its consequence is mostly overlooked. Fire outbreaks could cause severe burns, damage, and even death.
The good news is that fire can be tackled at its early stage with a workable fire extinguisher, but when the fire has grown into an inferno, the fire extinguisher will no more WORK, you will need to save yourself and contact firefighters.
It is very sad that most people only keep fire extinguishers in their vehicles to avoid sanctions from the Road Safety Commission Personnel. Most fire extinguishers in our filling stations, Offices, homes, and even some large organizations have no trained fire extinguisher operator which is very unfortunate.
If you are reading this post, then you are about to get a very invaluable knowledge about fire extinguishers.
Before we go into how to use fire extinguishers, I would like to let you know that different fire extinguishers work for different classes of fire.
Classes of Fire (From MFS Fire Extinguishers)
| Class A: | SOLIDS such as paper, wood, plastic, etc. |
| Class B: | FLAMMABLE LIQUIDS such as paraffin, petrol, oil, etc. |
| Class C: | FLAMMABLE GASES such as propane, butane, methane, etc. |
| Class D: | METALS such as aluminum, magnesium, titanium, etc. |
| Class E: | Fires involving ELECTRICAL APPARATUS |
| Class F: | Cooking OIL & FAT etc |
Different Types of Fire Extinguishers and the Type of Fire They Extinguish
(From MFS Fire Extinguishers)
EXTINGUISHER CLASS OF FIRE COLOUR CODE
Water A RED
Foam A & B CREAM
DCP A, B & C BLUE
CO2 B & C BLACK
Wet Chemical F –
Dry Powder D –
NOTE: Most available portable fire extinguishers are of the DCP grade, graded A, B, C. So you may not need to choose the type, just to keep it functional and also know how to use it properly.
Keeping the fire extinguisher functional will involve ensuring that the nozzle is not blocked, the pressure gauge is still on GREEN, and shielding the fire extinguisher from direct sunlight.
How to Operate Your Fire Extinguisher
Do not FORGET your PASS
P – Pull the pin on the extinguisher.
A – Aim the hose nozzle low toward the base of the fire.
S – Squeeze the handle to release the extinguishing agent.
S – Sweep the nozzle from side to side at the base of the flames until extinguished.
STAY SAFE AND NEVER FORGET YOUR P.A.S.S
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