Improving Fire Safety With An Extinguisher

Although the fire department have trained experts in the field of putting out fires, they can’t arrive the second that a fire starts.  That is why it is crucial to understand exactly how a fire extinguisher works and to also understand exactly how to use it.  Your fire safety is greatly improved by having an extinguisher on hand.  However, simply having one is certainly not enough.  You need to ensure that it is in proper working condition and that you or anyone around is one hundred per cent confident on how to use it.

Many people in fact have never held a fire extinguisher in their hands.  Therefore, many people do not realize that most of them are in fact quite heavy.  Therefore, the first step in training to use one should be simply to pick it up and do a ‘dry run.’  It may seem quite heavy at first, but when your adrenaline is running during a fire, you would be surprised how much strength you can gain.  If you are creating a fire safety plan at your office, you might want to ensure that the stronger employees are the ones who will be in charge of running the fire extinguisher.  Although nearly anyone can pick one up, you have to have some physical endurance in order to keep holding it in case of a larger fire.  It is also important to note that not all fire extinguishers are the same.  Therefore, make sure to read all the warnings and precautions and instructions on your particular extinguisher and ensure that everyone around does so as well.

It is also crucial to know what type of fire extinguisher you have for your fire safety plan.  Many people are not aware that there are in fact several different types of extinguishers, that all work in a different manor.  Water and foam extinguishers are two of the most common types.  However, water extinguishers should only be used in Class A fires.  A Class A fire is one that involves paper, wood, cloth, trash and plastics.  In this situation, it is important to point the nozzle at the base of the fire.

Foam extinguishers should only be used in Class A or B fires.  A Class B fire can include gasoline or other flammable liquid.  On that note, it is important to become aware of the differences in the classes of fires, because putting them out depends largely on what exactly is causing the fire.  Fire fighters are trained thoroughly on this but it is up to every day citizens to conduct their own research as well.

Having a fire extinguisher safety plan is crucial in any home or office setting.  As mentioned, simply having one available is not enough.  Every person needs to be able to use the extinguisher and everyone should also practise picking it up and pointing it at an invisible fire.  You just never know when a fire may break out and you want to make sure that you are prepared, no matter what happens.

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