Time to Read: 0m 0s
Considering the ever-increasing number of fires occurring in businesses, having fire extinguishers in your facility can be a lifesaver. By placing them in convenient spots, you can suppress the flames as you escape, or put out small fires before the firefighters arrive. However, to ensure you protect your property and employees from fires, it is important to choose the right fire extinguisher. With so many different types of fire extinguishers to choose from, though, choosing the right one for your facility can prove to be quite a daunting task. If you are in the market for fire extinguishers, and do not quite know how to choose the right one, here are some guidelines to follow:
-
Class A fire extinguishers are ideal for combustible things such as cardboard, paper, most plastics and wood.
-
Class B fire extinguishers are ideal for extinguishing fires resulting from combustible or flammable liquids such as paint, oil, gasoline, kerosene and grease.
-
Class C fire extinguishers are used for fires that involve electrical equipment like outlets, appliances, circuit breakers and wiring. Please note, never use water to extinguish class C fires because of the risk of electrical shock.
-
Class D fire extinguishers are able to control fires caused by combustible metals such as sodium, magnesium, potassium and titanium.
- Class K fire extinguishers are ideal for fires involving cooking oils and trans-fats often found in restaurants and cafeterias.
- Know what you are storing in your warehouse, and how to safely store it to avoid combustion that can cause fires. This includes anything from chemicals, packaging materials such as cardboard boxes and wood shipping/storage pallets, equipment batteries, and halide lamps.
- Keep a list hand of all hazardous materials and their warehouse locations.
- Make sure you have the proper fire extinguishers for what you are storing.
- Make sure all your employees are trained in how to operate your fire extinguishers.
