BSEN3 is the standard that dictates fire extinguishers should be 95% red with up to 5% of another colour to identify the type of extinguisher. The different colour codes are: Water = Red Dry Powder = Blue Foam = Cream CO2 = Black Wet Chemical = Yellow
Different types of fires have different characteristics. What they are fueled by significantly alters how they must be extinguished. The different extinguishers are then located in different areas of the building to ensure that the risks of that area are sufficiently covered.
None can ever be sold as ‘all purpose’ as some specialist materials will require specialist extinguishing equipment, however some extinguishers are ‘multi-purpose’ and can extinguish different types of fires.
This handy graphic shows you exactly what type of fire each extinguisher can be used on. If you’re not sure or if you have specialist risks such as flammable metals, please get in touch for details of our risk assessment & fire extinguisher selection service.
At least once per year, with annually being the most common frequency of servicing.
Fire extinguishers must be disposed of by a competent person. If they are under pressure they are extremely dangerous and should never be placed in general waste. The contents must be disposed of in different ways depending on what they are. The bodies, once empty and unpressurised, are mostly metal Read more…
Mostly, yes, although it depends on the type. Refilling Dry Powder extinguishers is not straightforward as the valves require cleaning to make sure the power has not contaminated it on discharge. Aerosol-type extinguishers are sealed and cannot be serviced. For some types, it’s cheaper to buy new & recycle the Read more…
Any extinguishers over 2kg, and a 2kg CO2, should have their handles mounted at 1m from the floor level. Any fire extinguishers smaller than this, should have their handles mounted at 1.5m from the ground.
