Which fire extinguisher should you choose?
In an emergency, a fire extinguisher will save lives and protect property. Although most fire extinguishers look the same on the outside, what’s inside is critical
DO YOU KNOW WHAT’S INSIDE YOUR FIRE EXTINGUISHER?
General purpose (ABC) fire fighting powder in the fire extinguisher contains mono ammonium phosphate (MAP) and ammonium sulphate (AS), plus silicates and filler material. AS is extremely important as it lowers the melting point of MAP thus making MAP a very effective fire fighting medium. Cutting down on the amount of AS in a fire fighting powder, or removing it altogether, reduces a fire fighting powders effectiveness. Reducing the amount of AS in fire fighting powders is often used as a means of reducing selling prices.
UNDERSTANDING FIRE RATINGS
Fire ratings are indicated on the label of an extinguisher. Do not accept an extinguisher that does not have a fire rating displayed. The fire rating consists of a number followed by ‘A’ if the fire extinguisher is suitable for putting out A-class fires (flammable solids, e.g. wood, fabrics, etc) or ‘B’ for putting out B-class fires (flammable liquids, e.g. cooking oil, petrol, etc). The higher the number, the larger the fire it can put out. So an extinguisher with a 55A rating is far better than an extinguisher with 3A rating. An extinguisher with a 233B rating is far better than an extinguisher with an 8B rating.
FIRE EXTINGUISHERS
