Fire extinguishers are everywhere. In buildings, restaurants, hotels and even cars. To occupants or passersby, they tend to get overlooked as part of the furniture and its importance and the safety it provides is ignored, until you need them.
We often get requests for fire extinguisher quotes and perhaps a few tips and considerations are needed to provide some value to the clients requesting them.
What types of fire extinguishers are available in South Africa?
There are various classes of fire extinguishers available in the country. Understanding the classes of fire extinguishers are important to ensure you buy the correct type for the substance at risk of burning or that you are trying to protect.
| Class A | Suitable for fires of combustible material such as cardboard, wood, paper and most plastics. |
| Class B | Suitable for fires involving combustible or flammable liquids such as kerosene, oil, petrol, and grease. |
| Class C | For fires involving electrical equipment such as appliances, circuit breakers, wiring, and outlets, or fires involving energized materials. IMPORTANT: Never use water to extinguish class C fires! |
| Class D | Fires involving chemicals and combustible metals such as potassium, magnesium, sodium and titanium. |
| Class F | Are designed for fires involving fats in cooking appliance and cooking oils commonly found in restaurants. |
What type of fire extinguisher do I need for my business?
The type of extinguisher will be dependent on the type of hazards found within your premises and the potential of loss of product or stock as per the nature of your business. For example, a meat manufacturer may want to consider a fire extinguisher to limit the loss of produce due to the risk of contamination of meat.
| Type | Water | Foam | Dry Powder | CO2 | Wet Chemical |
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| CLASS
A Combustible materials (e.g. paper & wood) |
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B Flammable liquids (e.g. paint & petrol) |
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C Flammable gases (e.g. butane and methane) |
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D Flammable metals (e.g. lithium& potassium) |
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Electrical Electrical equipment (e.g. computers & generators) |
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| CLASS F Deep fat fryers (e.g. chip pans) Comments |
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| Comments | Do not use on liquid or electric fires |
Not suited to domestic use |
Not suited for restaurant kitchen use |
Safe on both high and low voltage |
Use on extremely high temperatures |
What does the colour-coded label on a fire extinguisher mean?
The different types of fire extinguishers have a colour-coded label to easily identify them:
| Red | Water |
| Cream / Light Yellow | Foam |
| Blue | Dry Powder |
| Black | CO2 |
| Canary Yellow | Wet Chemical |
How to use a fire extinguisher?
While we have fire extinguishers available in office buildings, warehouses, restaurants, cars etc. they are only useful in the event of a fire if they are serviced/maintained annually, and if the people who are meant to use them, are aware of how it should be used.
Fire extinguishers empty within seconds, and therefore knowledge on how to operate it accurately is essential, as once its done, its done. If not, you risk wasting the contents of the extinguisher without fulfilling its purpose of extinguishing the fire.
How long do fire extinguishers spray for until it is empty?
| Type of Fire extinguisher | *Seconds to empty |
| Water | 60 |
| Foam | 10 – 30 |
| Dry Powder | 10 – 25 |
| CO2 | 10 – 30 |
| Wet Chemical | 45 |
- Check the extinguisher is fully charged – the pressure gauge on the neck should be in the green area and the safety pin intact and not bent. NB Do not remove the safety pin unless the fire extinguisher is needed.
- From a safe distance remove the safety pin breaking the tamper seal and freeing the lever on top of the extinguisher.
- When aiming the nozzle or hose at the fire:
- Class A fires: aim at the base of the fire working across the area of flames.
- Class A (water extinguisher/red label): Move the jet across for flames spreading horizontally or up in the direction of the fire for flames spreading vertically moving closer as the fire starts to diminish
- Class B (foam extinguisher/cream label): Do not spray directly onto the fire as this could cause the flames to spread. Instead aim at a nearby vertical surface allowing the foam to build up and smother the flames.
- Class B fires: flammable liquids – Aim the horn at the base of the fire and move across the area of flames.
- Class B fires: spilled liquids – aim the hose at the near edge of the fire and with rapid sweeping movements force the flames to the far edge until all the flames have been extinguished.
- Class B fires: flowing liquids – aim the hose at the base of the flames and in a sweeping movement work upwards until all the flames have been extinguished
- Electrical fires – If safe and possible, switch off the power and direct the hose straight at the fire keeping a distance of 1m.
- Class F: Apply the spray in a circular motion, allowing a mist to fall onto the flames and prevent any oil or liquid splashing
- Squeeze the lever gently to start discharging the extinguisher
- Ensure the fire is fully extinguished
Common Fire Extinguisher Mistakes
- Ignoring the instructions on the fire extinguisher: Ensure those that are in charge of operating the fire extinguishers are familiar with the instructions and where to find them.
- Using the wrong type of fire extinguisher: it is important to use the correct fire extinguisher on the correct class of fire. Where needed, ensure you get additional fire extinguishers if more than one type is needed according to the requirements of protection. For example, a restaurant with deep fat fryers two different types of fire extinguishers will be required at minimum – one for the kitchen (Wet Chemical), and one for the seating area (DCP/Dry Powder)
- Not checking expiry dates: after expiry fire extinguishers no longer effective so it is extremely important to keep record of these dates.
- Neglecting fire extinguisher maintenance: the green zone indicates a good pressure, and the needle should always point to this green zone. The needle (or pressure) dropping from this green zone indicative of the fire extinguisher not having enough pressure to release the agent. Fire extinguishers should be maintained annually and pressure tested every 5 of 10 years depending on the type of extinguisher – foam, water, water-based & dry powder every 5 years, and CO2 every 10 years.
Where to buy fire extinguishers?
At Elite Fire Protection we offer, inspections and assessments, supply, installation, and maintenance of fire extinguishers.
If you work in an environment that requires fire protection and safety, we can help find the best solution for you, your property, and your people. Contact us today
