Fire extinguishers for your premises

People who run a shop, an office, a club or a guest house are often told to have the right fire extinguishers.

The right ones depend on what could catch fire in the building. These notes follow government guidance for England.

The responsible person

Someone has to take charge of fire safety in every business or other non-domestic premises. The law calls them the responsible person. It can be the employer, the owner, the landlord, an occupier or a managing agent. The same rules cover the shared areas of blocks of flats, and places with paying guests such as a bed and breakfast.

The responsible person must carry out a fire risk assessment, keep a written record of it and review it regularly. Choosing fire fighting equipment is one part of that assessment.

Classes of fire

Fire safety guidance sorts fires by what is burning. Class A fires involve solids such as wood, paper or textiles. Class B fires involve flammable liquids such as petrol, diesel or oils. Class C covers gases, and Class D covers metals. Class F fires involve cooking oils, such as in a deep-fat fryer.

Where gases or metals could burn, the guidance says to get advice from a competent person. Fires involving aerosols are too dangerous to fight with an extinguisher.

Extinguisher types and their colours

Modern extinguishers are mostly red, with a band of colour that shows what is inside.

Water (red) is for Class A fires. It is unsuitable for live electrical equipment.
Foam (cream) is for Class A and B fires. It is unsuitable for deep-fat fryers and chip pans.
Powder (blue) works on most classes of fire. It can leave electrical equipment useless, and it cuts visibility. Guidance says it is not generally suitable for enclosed spaces.
Carbon dioxide (black) suits fires in electrical equipment.
Wet chemical (yellow) is for Class F fires in kitchens.

How many, and where

For a small premises with a simple layout, government guidance suggests a water-based extinguisher on each floor. A carbon dioxide extinguisher can sit beside it for electrical fires. A kitchen with fat fryers should have a fire blanket and a Class F extinguisher.

In larger premises, the guidance suggests about one water-based extinguisher for every 200 square metres of floor, with at least two on each floor. Extinguishers go on escape routes, near the exit from a room or floor, or near the hazard they cover. Ideally nobody should travel more than 30 metres to reach one. The handle sits at about 1 metre for larger extinguishers and 1.5 metres for smaller ones.

Checks and servicing

Government guidance suggests a quick visual check of every extinguisher each month. A competent contractor should inspect and test them once a year. The British Standard for that maintenance is BS 5306-3. A logbook of tests and servicing helps show what has been done.

Staff should know which extinguishers the premises has, which fires each one suits and how to use it safely. Anyone in doubt should raise the alarm, leave the building and call the fire and rescue service.

When to get help

Many people running small premises do their own fire risk assessment with the government guides. Others appoint a competent fire risk assessor. The Fire Sector Federation publishes a guide to choosing one.

Local fire and rescue services enforce the rules, and many give advice to small businesses. They cannot carry out the assessment for you. Serious breaches of fire safety law can bring unlimited fines and up to 2 years in prison.