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Portable
Fire Extinguishers
Before you
fight a fire, make sure...
- Everyone
has left the area and someone has sounded the alarm and called
the Fire Department.
- You have
an unobstructed escape route at your back.
- The fire
is small, confined and not spreading.
- The aren't
any highly flammable materials near the fire site.
- You know
what's burning and your extinguisher is right for the fire.
- You know
how to use the extinguisher.
Remember the
PASS-word:
PULL the pin: This
unlocks the operating lever and allows you to discharge the
extinguisher.
AIM low: Point
the extinguisher nozzle, or hose, at the base of the fire.
SQUEEZE the lever above the handle: This
discharges the extinguishing agent. To stop the discharge,
release the lever.
SWEEP from side to side: If
the fire is going out, move carefully toward the flames, keeping
the extinguisher aimed at the base of the fire. Once the fire
goes out, watch the fire area and be prepared to repeat the
process if the fire reignites.
Plan
ahead for fire emergency....
There
are five (5) classes of fire. Extinguishers are labeled with
standard symbols or letters for the classes of fire that can
be put out.
CLASS
A fire involve paper, wood, and other ordinary combustibles.
CLASS
B fires involve flammable liquids, such as gasoline, oil, and
some paints and solvents.
CLASS
C fires involve energized electrical equipment such as power
tools, wiring, fuse boxes, appliances, TVs, computers, electric
motors, etc.
CLASS
D fires involve combustible metals, such as magnesium, potassium,
and sodium.
CLASS
K fires involve grease in commercial cooking equipment.
Extinguishing agents....
Extinguishers
differ by the "extinguishing agent" they expel onto a fire. The
label on the extinguisher must match what is burning.
Class
A: Pressurized water extinguishes fires by cooling the fuel.
Foam (AFFF and FFFP) models blanket the fuel with water-based
foam and smother fires by cutting off oxygen. These should not
be used for electrical fires.
Class
B-C: Dry-chemical extinguishers blanket fuels with sodium
bicarbonate, potassium bicarbonate, urea-based potassium bicarbonate,
potassium
chloride, or monoammonium phosphate. Carbon dioxide models contain
liquid Carbon Dioxide under pressure, which turns to a gas when
expelled.
Class
A-B-C: Multipurpose dry-chemical extinguishers, which expel ammonium
phosphate, and halogenated extinguishers can be used on Class
A, B, and C fires.
Class
D: Extinguishers labeled for Class D fires apply dry powder to
burning metals.
Class
K: Extinguishers labeled for Class K fires coat the fuel with
wet or dry-based chemicals.
Information
provided courtesy of Fire Extinguishers at Work, National Fire
Protection Association, Batterymarch Park, Quincy, MA 02269-9101.
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