ChurchSafety Home >> Information Contents Fire extinguishers The main purpose of fire extinguishers and fire hoses is to help people make their way out of a burning building, but they can also be used to extinguish a small fire. Because of this, fire extinguishers must be placed in all areas of your building and must be marked by signs. In Places of Worship, fire extinguishers should be modern appliances which comply with the BS EN 3 standard.  For advice about fire extinguishers in you Place of Worship, please contact a reputable supplier, such as our sponsor Fire Protection Online, who will normally advise you for free. Website Sponsor Numbers and location The first kind of fire extinguisher cover that is needed would be from extinguishers that contain water or foam. These are suitable for fires involving wood, paper and textiles etc… (known as 'Class A').  They must not be used on live electrical equipment. These extinguishers are often needed to secure a means of escape from the building. Foam extinguishers have some advantages over water extinguishers, one of which is that they may be used on fires involving flammable liquids (known as 'Class B').  A similar class of extinguishers include water with an additive. These are usually smaller and more discrete than their plain water counterparts. Current recommended practice is that you need one extinguisher for every 200m2 of floor area, being spaced a maximum of 30 metres apart. It is recommended that you have a minimum of two extinguishers per floor level.  Usually, these are 9-litre water or a 6-litre foam extinguishers, with a fire rating of '13A'. Not all fires can be extinguished with water or foam, and some fires could even be made worse. It is common practice to put additional extinguishers of different types next to specific fire hazards like cookers and boilers. In kitchens, a fire blanket should be fitted because not all fires can be put out with a fire extinguisher.  The blanket, when placed over the fire, smothers the fire, preventing oxygen getting into the fire. The usual kind of fire blanket is a 'light duty' type, most of which are replaced after use. Extinguishers should be fixed to the wall with the supplied clips, but in some Places of Worship this is not possible because it will affect historic building features.  It would not be considered appropriate for extinguishers to be rested directly on the floor, and small plastic or metal stands are readily available to take the extinguisher and a sign. Stands are available in a range of colours and styles to suit the location. In the smallest of buildings, it might be acceptable to use multipurpose extinguishers, such as a 2kg dry powder extinguisher.  These must be readily available within the premises, and the same rules about servicing and maintenance apply to these extinguishers. For buildings where the floor area is below 90m2 it might be acceptable to have only one extinguisher. Extinguisher types The table below shows the most used modern extinguisher types that are available for use in Places of Worship. The colour code appears on the whole body of older extinguishers but modern ones usually have a coloured label or coloured writing on a red body.

Type (Colour code) Suitable for Typical locations in building Water (red) (With or without additive) Wood, paper and textile – Class A Do not use on live electrical equipment due to the risk of electric shock. All areas of the building for general fire protection: At least one per 200m2 of floor area, a minimum of 2 per floor. Clean - ideal for historic buildings. Can use Foam as an alternative. OK for solid fuel boiler systems. Foam (cream) Wood, paper and textile – Class A Flammable liquids – Class B Do not use on live electrical equipment. All areas of the building (see "Water" above) especially where flammable liquids may be present, such as oil fueled heating systems. More efficient on class A fires than water – smaller extinguishers can be used. Powder (blue) Wood, paper and textile – Class A Flammable liquids – Class B Gas (e.g. natural gas) – Class C* Electrical fire risks - Class E A general purpose fire extinguihser, which is ideal to compliment other extinguihser types. Often found in extinguihsers with a guaranteed shelf-life. Note powder is often not recommended for Class A, and in some cases, the extinguisher is not suitable for this purpose. The fine powder can be difficult to clean. Carbon Dioxide / CO2 (black) Flammable liquids – Class B Recommended for use on fires involving live electrical equipment All locations in addition to water or foam where electrical fire hazards exist and near kitchens. Clean - ideal for historic buildings. Recommended for use on organs, sound systems and electrical fuse boxes etc... Wet chemical Cooking oils – Class F Some may also be used on Class A fires. Specially designed for putting out fires involving cooking oils.

The above table is not intended as a substitute for formal training on the selection of fire extinguishers *  Note that the recommended method for extinguishing gaseous fires is to remove the supply of gas, otherwise re-ignition or even an explosion could result. Older 'Halon' (green) type extinguishers must be removed from service and replaced. Please contact your fire extinguisher service company for advice on replacement and disposal. Fire hose reels may be provided in some Places of Worship. These can be used on Class A fires (Wood, paper and textile) in the same way as a water extinguisher. Servicing Fire extinguishers, except those with a guaranteed shelf-life, need regular servicing. This needs to be done by a reputable company, who would also advise you if you need to buy new equipment (for example, if it is old or damaged).  The cost of this should be about £5 per extinguisher, but there might also be a callout charge.  Look for a company who are registered with the Fire Extinguisher Trades Association (FETA). You should regularly check the equipment for signs of damage and use. Most extinguishers are fitted with anti-tamper seals that tell you when the pin has been removed and some types have a pressure gauge that should normally point to a green section or to an OK indicator. It would be normal to do this every month. Commercial-grade extinguishers could give in excess of twenty years service when looked after. Very old extinguishers should be replaced because they may not function correctly when you need to use them. Modern fire extinguishers are now painted red, while older extinguisher might have the old colour code scheme.  The old colour scheme and the new red type of extinguisher should not be mixed in the same part of the building to prevent confusion. Use of extinguishers Fire extinguishers always have printed instructions on them and fire regulations require that extinguishers are marked with signs. It would be recommended to use glow-in-the-dark signs showing the standard "fire extinguisher and flames" symbol found on safety signs alongside a brief description of what classes of fire the extinguisher is safe for use on. Most modern fire extinguishers are of the 'controlled discharge' type. To operate, a safety clip or pin is removed, the nozzle is aimed at the base of the fire, the levers squeezed and the nozzle is swept over the fire to extinguish the flames.  Releasing the levers stops the extinguisher. People should be nominated to use fire extinguishers and suitable training should be given to these people. Most fire extinguisher service companies provide suitable training courses.  Extinguishers in the hands of inexperienced or untrained people can be dangerous and can lead to the fire spreading or injury to the operator or others nearby. It should not be expected that people who have not been trained should use a fire extinguisher, however, their safe escape from the building might depend on the availability of this equipment. Additional Information Our sponsor, Fire Protection Online, supplies a wide range of fire extinguihsers and accessories at discount prices.  Online assistance is available on the selection of suitable equipment. [Home Page] [About Us] [Site Map & Search] [FAQ]