To prevent fire extinguishers from being moved or damaged, they should be mounted on brackets or in wall cabinets with their carrying handles placed 3-1/2 to 5 feet above the floor, depending on the type of extinguisher.
An employer must: Provide portable fire extinguishers and mount, locate, and identify them so that they are readily accessible to employees without subjecting the employees to possible injury. [29 CFR 1910.157(c)(1)]
Fire extinguishers should never be on the floor, not just because it contravenes the rules and regulations of the NFPA. Still, an extinguisher on the floor could worsen a problem, so it must be installed and placed on a stand or fixed to a wall.
Place all extinguishers where they're easy to see and reach. Every fire extinguisher must be placed in a visible and easy-to-reach location with the label facing out. They should be installed along hallways, in meeting rooms, near exit doors, and in other common locations.
The bottom of the extinguisher needs to be at least 4in off the ground and the top not more than 5ft from the ground, unless it is heavier than 40lbs. In the case where it is heavier than 40lbs, the top of the extinguisher cannot be more than 3.5ft above the floor.
The details in regard to the maintenance are given in IS 2190 : 1992 'Code of practice for selection, installation and maintenance of portable first aid fire extinguishers (third revision)'. This standard was first published in 1962 and revised in 1972, 1976 and 1985.
NFPA 10 provides requirements to ensure that portable fire extinguishers will work as intended to provide a first line of defense against fires of limited size.
The installation wall must support the extinguisher's weight, and the extinguisher handle must be at a minimum height to ensure it is readily accessible in case of an emergency. Properly installed extinguishers can significantly reduce the impact of fire hazards.
Extinguishers also need to be installed in places where they're visible, but if an obstruction is unavoidable then there needs to be a sign provided to indicate the extinguisher's location. Extinguishers need to be installed at least 4 inches off the ground up to a maximum of 5ft.
Visibility: A fire extinguisher that is hidden or obscured by other objects is of no use in an emergency. Fire extinguishers should be placed in a location where they are visible and easily identifiable, such as near exits or in well-lit areas.
The kitchen and garage are good sites for an extinguisher. However, do not place an extinguisher over the stove or buried in storage in the garage, but rather hang it on the wall no less than 4 inches or greater than 5 feet from the ground.
The main reason would be it is difficult to locate a fire extinguisher when a fire occurs. By placing the fire extinguisher on the floor, we remove it out of our natural line of sight. This is both a fire hazard and one of the things that SCDF officers look out for during their building inspections.
A modern fire extinguisher can be stored horizontally. The contents are under pressure, and the angle of storage will not cause the system to leak. Proper fire extinguisher storage includes using the appropriate mounting brackets, and being sure that you do not allow your extinguishers to freeze.
Most authorities having jurisdiction (AHJ) will expect at least 36-inches clearance in front of the extinguisher as long as it is still visible. They “borrow” this 36-inch clearance measurement from NFPA 70-2011, Article 110.26 for electrical control panels.
Fire extinguishers. Use a small fire extinguisher icon and the label "Fire Extinguisher" to show the location of all the extinguishers on your diagram. If there's a fire fighting station on the property, show that as well and label it "Fire Station".
A fire extinguisher, rated not less than 10B, shall be provided within 50 feet of wherever more than 5 gallons of flammable or combustible liquids or 5 pounds of flammable gas are being used on the jobsite. This requirement does not apply to the integral fuel tanks of motor vehicles.
Fire extinguishers, particularly those with a pressurized canister, are designed to operate when stored in a vertical position. Storing a fire extinguisher horizontally could cause the contents to settle in a way that might affect the even distribution of the agent inside.
Further, based on the threat, amount of combustible material involved, more than one type of extinguishers may have to be installed/used side by side in a building/ occupancy. A separate standard describing the selection, installation, and maintenance criteria namely, IS 2190 is of great help to building professionals.
Those with gross weights of no more than 40 pounds (lbs.) should be mounted with their carrying handles no higher than 5 feet from the floor. Larger fire extinguishers (over 40 lbs. gross weight) need to be mounted at lower heights, with their carrying handles no more than 3-1/2 feet from the floor.
If visual obstructions cannot be avoided, then arrows, lights, or signs are needed to help indicate where a fire extinguisher is located. Extinguishers should be placed where they are readily accessible in the event of a fire, which typically includes normal paths of travel.
All fire extinguishers must be fixed in a permanent position and it depends on the particular extinguisher, what the best storage option is. Ones with contents of 3 kg or 3 litres and above should be wall-mounted so that the handles are one metre from the floor. This also includes the common 2kg CO2 extinguisher.
Fire extinguishers are required to be placed in normal travel paths. These fire safety products must also be located where they're visible at a glance. When installing fire extinguishers in your building, they must be more than four inches off the ground and no higher than 5 feet.
A common rule that is followed for obstructions within 18 inches of the sprinkler deflector is the “three times rule”. This requires sprinklers to be positioned away from obstructions a minimum or three times the maximum dimension of the obstruction.
The NFPA 72 "covers the application, installation, location, performance, inspection, testing, and maintenance of fire alarm systems, supervising station alarm systems, public emergency alarm reporting systems, fire warning equipment and emergency communications systems (ECS), and their components." Federal, state, and ...