Fire Safety: How to Use a Fire Extinguisher

Choosing a leading brand of Fire Protection Equipment and the Right Fire Extinguishing Company is crucial for the Fire Safety of a company. It is extremely important to have a firm plan in place, with ideal and certified fire fighting equipment used for domestic & industrial fire applications. Nowadays, one can find a plethora of portable and mobile fire extinguishers for commercial and industrial applications that can work for varied purposes.

Before choosing the Fire Extinguishers for commercial or domestic use, one should assess whether the fire fighting equipment meets stringent quality standards for manufacturing or not.

Fire Extinguishers and their Importance:

A Fire Extinguisher is a critical device that is used only in cases of Fire Safety and security. It is not possible to test a Fire Extinguisher as its reliability is tested only in the case of an event, especially if a fire breaks out within commercial premises or domestic interiors.

When it comes to use and application, Fire Extinguishers and Fire Protection Equipment need to be easily identifiable, so that they are easily recognizable in dire times and even accessible.

Good Fire Safety and Protection is not just about right devices but stringent monitoring standards to ensure ideal fire safety. Employees within the company need to be conversant about picture symbols to identify types of fires. Red slashes for instance indicate potential danger if the fire extinguisher is used on such fires. Absence of type symbol on the other hand will indicate that the particular extinguisher is not effective for the specific type of fire.

How to Use a Fire Extinguisher

The P.A.S.S technique for using Fire Extinguishers:

• Pull the pin and break the tamper seal
• Aim low, pointing the nozzle at the base of fire
• Squeeze the handle to release the agent.
• Sweep from side to side at the fire base until it is out. If the fire re-ignites, start the process again.

Evacuate immediately if you cannot use the P.A.S.S technique. The following steps should be adhered to in case of a fire:

• Sound fire alarm and call fire department as necessary.
• Identify the right safe evacuation path before fighting the fire. Identify a route that does not allow fire or smoke to come between the path.
• Select the right type of Fire Extinguisher for combating the fire.
• Discharge the extinguisher using the P.A.S.S. (pull, aim, squeeze, sweep) technique from a good range.
• Get away from the fire if flames rise up again from the same spots.
• Evacuate immediately if the Fire Extinguisher is running empty or progresses beyond the early stage.