What Fire Extinguisher Do You Need for Your Building?

Different buildings have different fire safety requirements. An office building, an industrial area, a residence, and an outdoor workshop all have different risks to take into consideration and different potential hazards that might cause a fire. As you figure out where to buy fire extinguisher, consider also the type of extinguisher that will help your building the most. A basic guide to the different types of fire extinguishers available can be found here.

Types A, B, and C

When you order fire extinguishers and other industrial safety products at Herbert Williams, you should check to see the type of fires you need to protect against. Most of the time, in most environments, a fire extinguisher should at least be coded to protect against classifications A, B, and C. This includes freely burning, combustible solid materials like wood and paper (A), flammable liquid or gasoline (B), and electrical sources (C). Type C fires refer to an electrical source and generally spread to materials in fire types A and B. These sources are found in most buildings, so any extinguisher you buy should at least be coded A, B, and C to protect against the most common interior fire hazards.

Type D

You can order fire extinguishers online that cover type A, B, and C fires very easily. Powder extinguishers cover all three well, while carbon dioxide extinguishers handle type B fire with aplomb. Type D fires are more uncommon in residences but much from likely to occur in certain industrial areas. These include metallic fires, such as those caused by magnesium or sodium. If you business has a risk of a type D fire, you need to make sure that you have the proper industrial safety equipment on hand. Furthermore, everybody who works in the area should be fully trained in industrial fire safety. Always make sure that any extinguishers purchased to fight type D fires are coded properly when you buy them.

Type K

A type K fire involves animal fats and vegetable oils. Most common in kitchen settings, it is especially important to have an extinguisher capable of putting out a type K fire in an industrial kitchen or restaurant. Many home cooking fires can be contained by simply putting a cover over the flame, but areas that have many potential sources of fire going on at the same time should definitely have an extinguisher capable of dousing these flames. Type K fire extinguishers usually use a wet chemical method of dousing a flame that includes potassium. The chemicals cool the temperature of the flame in addition to smothering the fire and making sure that it can’t get enough air to spread.

Virtually every building needs an ABC fire extinguisher, be it commercial or residential. For other types of fires, you should identify where the risk of such a flame lies and make sure that you have the appropriate tools at your disposal. This will allow you to fight these hazards in the safest and most efficient manner should an emergency arise.