If you run a business, then it’s your responsibility to ensure that the property is safe for your employees. Fire safety is a big part of this, which means you need to carry out fire risk assessments as well as having the correct number of fire exits and fire extinguishers.
In this post, we’ll be focussing on getting the correct fire extinguishers for a non-domestic property, including the types of fire extinguishers available and how many you need.
Types of fire extinguishers
- Class A extinguishers – Class A fire extinguishers are those that are designed to put out wood or paper fires. You can get them in either 3,6 or 9 litre capacities. Class A extinguishers are the most common type found in business premises.
- CO2 extinguishers – If you have electrical equipment in your premises, then you’ll also need to have CO2 extinguishers for dealing with electrical fires.
- Dry powder extinguishers – Dry powder extinguishers are used when there’s a gas risk, such as in a boiler room. They’re typically not as common as Class A and CO2 extinguishers.
- Wet chemical extinguishers – Wet chemical extinguishers are usually used in kitchens with deep fat fryers.
How many extinguishers are needed in a premises?
UK fire safety laws require you to have at least 2 Class A fire extinguishers on every story of the building. You can choose from 3,6 or 9 litre extinguishers depending on the size of the building but there must be at least 2 of them on every floor.
Fire extinguishers are usually best placed next to fire exits and fire alarm points.
Maintenance and replacement
It’s important that any extinguishers you have in your premises are maintained annually by a property qualified BAFE professional.
A professional will carry out a number of checks on your fire extinguishers, including –
- Checking the condition of the hose
- Checking if the pin works
- Seeing if it’s been tampered with in any way
- Checking the overall condition of the tank
- Checking the instructions written on the tank are legible
The fire extinguishers in your premises should be tested by discharge once every 5 years and refilled or replaced as necessary.
At Ashford Security, we provide a range of fire safety equipment and services, including If you’d like to enquire about our products or services for your business, then please feel free to get in touch and we’ll get back to you with more information.
