Fire Extinguishers

ESP Fire & Security supplies a complete range of fire extinguishers to cover every type of location and risk.

Usually the first line of defence in a real fire scenario, your fire extinguishers must be kept in top working order so that you know they will be effective, should you have to use them. Annual maintenance – as well as being the best way to be sure of this – is also a legal requirement.

Extinguisher Colour Coding  

Different types of fire extinguishers are identified and distinguished by colour coding. Before 1996, the entire of the body of the extinguisher was painted with the appropriate colour. New extinguishers manufactured to BS EN 3 are coded with a coloured band covering up to 5% of the total surface area.

Type BS EN 3 Colour Code (manufactured 1996 onwards) Fire Class
Water Signal red A
Foam Signal red with a cream panel above the operating instructions A,B
Dry Powder Red with a blue panel above the operating instructions A,B,C
Carbon Dioxide Red with a black panel above the operating instructions B
Wet Chemical Red with a canary yellow panel above the operating instructions A,F

Fire Rating

All fire extinguishers carry a number followed by a letter on the front instructions; this combination denotes both the size and type of fire it will safely extinguish. The number is the size of fire it can extinguish under test conditions – the larger the number, the larger the fire it can extinguish. The letter indicates the fire classification as above. If a fire extinguisher carries more than one identifying letter, it is safe to use on different types of fires.

Extinguisher Allocation and Siting

The type, size and location for each fire extinguisher are dictated within British Standards. As a minimum, all premises require one nine litre water extinguisher for every 200m² of floor space, with a minimum provision of two extinguishers for any building. Special risks other than Class ‘A’ must be considered separately (electrics, gas, cooking oil) etc. Extinguishers should normally be sited on escape routes and in similar locations on all floors creating fire points. They should be fixed in a location where the extinguisher can be easily reached (near a door leading to a place of safety, on an escape route or adjacent to a specific fire risk). Extinguishers should be fixed at a height so that the carrying handle is 1m from the floor for heavier units and 1.5m for smaller units.

Maintenance

We provide an ongoing maintenance programme to ensure that your equipment is always kept in prime condition and will perform as intended. Our range of fire extinguishers is manufactured to BS EN3 and carries the BS Kitemark – a visible endorsement and quality approval from the British Standards Institution.

Commissioning

Commissioning of a new or refurbished extinguisher should be carried out by a competent person. After removal from its packaging and transit protection, and immediately before being placing in its designated location, the extinguisher must undergo the sequence of commissioning service actions described in British Standards, with the safety precautions being carefully observed.

In the event that the manufacturer has not marked the mass of the extinguisher or a nominal range of mass for the extinguisher, the competent person should consult the manufacturer’s workshop manual for that model or contact the manufacturer to obtain this information.

When all of these checks have been satisfactorily completed, the extinguisher should be installed and positioned in accordance with BS 5306-8.

ESP are currently in the process of expanding our Fire Protection Department - to promote this, we have some fantastic offers on fire extinguisher packs tailored to your site's needs. Call us now on 02393 422000 to request a free, no obligation survey from our Fire expert. You will not be disappointed!