A fire extinguisher is a portable tool for extinguishing or controlling small fires. It typically consists of a handle, a nozzle, and a pressurized container with an extinguishing substance within. Extinguishers are important safety equipment that stop fires in the early stages before they spread and cause significant damage. In this article, we discuss types of fire extinguishers and their uses.
These are the following types of fire Extinguisher:
- Water Extinguisher
- Foam Extinguisher
- Carbon dioxide (CO2) Extinguisher
- Dry Powder Extinguisher
- Wet Chemical Extinguisher
- Fire Blanket
Water-Fire extinguisher
- Color Label Red
- Suitable for use on Class A fires, paper, wood, textile, and fabrics
- Not suitable for cooking fats and flammable liquids etc.
- Not safe for use on fires involving electricity
- Extinguish by cooling
What is Water Mist Extinguisher and Water Spray Extinguisher?
Mist extinguishers have different nozzles that are designed to release small water particles. These particles both smothering the fire and reduce the sensitivity of heat by forming a mist wall between the fire and the extinguisher user, while Water spray extinguishers have a spray nozzle, they may cover a larger surface area faster and control fires faster.
How Water extinguishers work:
The fuel is cooled by the water, which makes it burn much more slowly until the flames finally go out.
Foam – Fire extinguisher
- Color Label Cream
- Suitable for Class A and B fires
- Not suitable for use on fires involving electricity
- Extinguish by smothering and sealing the surface of a burning liquid.
How Foam extinguishers work:
Foam extinguishers reduce fuel temperature, just like water extinguishers do. The foaming substance creates a wall between liquid fuel and flame that extinguishes the fire.
Also Read: Best practice for effective fire prevention?
Carbon dioxide (CO2) – Fire extinguisher
- Color Label Black
- Best on Class B fires
- Safe to use on fires involving electricity
- Extinguishes by reducing oxygen levels and smothering
- Not to be used in confined Areas- can cause asphyxiation.
How CO2 extinguishers work:
By displacement of oxygen that a fire needs to burn, CO2 extinguishers put out fires.
Dry Powder – Fire extinguisher
- Color Label Blue
- Best on Class B fires but safe to use on any type of fire
- Extinguishes by chemically interfering with the combustion
- Do not use in a confined area due to inhalation.
How Dry Powder extinguishers work:
Dry powder extinguishers work by forming a barrier between the fuel and the oxygen source, effectively controlling fires.
What are Specialist Dry Powder extinguishers?
Specialist Dry powder and dry powder extinguishers both work similarly, but they are specifically designed to extinguish fires caused by flammable metals. There are two types:
L2: This type is only for lithium fires.
M28: This type is for all other flammable metal fires besides lithium.
Wet Chemical – Fire extinguisher
- Color Label Yellow
- Specifically designed for use on cooking oil/fat fires
- Extinguishes by smothering and cooling (a fine nozzle creates a mist spray that reacts with the oil/fat)
- Do not use it on electrical fires.
How Wet Chemical Extinguishers Work
Wet chemical extinguishers create a foam layer on the burning oil or fat surface, which blocks oxygen from fueling the fire. Additionally, the spray has a cooling effect.
Fire blanket – Fire extinguisher
- Color Label is usually red or white
- For use on any type of fire but best on small contained Class B fires
- Extinguisher by smothering
- Normally used in kitchens
- One use only
How Wet Chemical extinguishers works:
A fire blanket is a sheet of woven fire-retardant material designed to extinguish small fires. Fire blankets are usually made from woven fiberglass and work by smothering the fire and cutting off its oxygen supply.
Also Read: 10 Easy Workplace Safety Tips
How to use Fire Extinguisher: PASS
To use a fire extinguisher, follow the abbreviation PASS
- Pull – Pull the extinguisher’s pin.
- Aim – Aim the nozzle toward the fire’s source.
- Squeeze – Squeeze the trigger to let the product out.
- Sweep – Sweep the nozzle from side-to-side motion slowly.
