If you have a fire extinguisher, it should be placed where it is easily accessible. The kitchen and garage are good sites for an extinguisher.
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.
Extinguishers should be placed where they are readily accessible in the event of a fire, which typically includes normal paths of travel.
The AS2444 specifies that the base of the extinguisher must be mounted at least 10 cms off the floor, and the top of it should be no more than 1.2mtrs above the floor. Within those boundaries you want to mount the fire extinguisher so it is not knocked by cleaning equipment, or kicked by passers by.
Where should a Fire Extinguisher be placed in the home? Having a fire extinguisher in the home is a good idea, but not mandated by the Southside Fire Department. If you have a fire extinguisher, it should be placed where it is easily accessible. The kitchen and garage are good sites for an extinguisher.
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.
You can store a fire extinguisher outdoors, however, it must be in a secure place and away from the elements. NEVER store an extinguisher in your garage or shed unless it is locked away, out of sight and protected. If your fire extinguisher is not in use, then it should be stored in a cool, dry place at all times.
Having one at the ready in or near the bedrooms may just save your life. It is recommended to have a 2.5 lb to 5 lb extinguisher in these important areas. If you have any questions about extinguisher placement in your home or types of extinguishers to use, contact us or stop by and talk to one of our firefighters.
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.
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.
Pull: Pull the safety pin located at the top of the fire extinguisher. Aim: Aim the nozzle at the fire's base rather than its top. Squeeze: Squeeze the lever gently to release the extinguishing agent. Sweep: Sweep the fire extinguisher from side to side to sufficiently cover the fire and prevent it from spreading.
Fire extinguishers are also often located near fire alarm call points so that someone can raise the alarm and then pick up an extinguisher. Extinguishers should be sited so that it is not necessary to travel more than 30 metres to reach one. So, therefore, extinguishers can be 60 metres apart.
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.
Place a fire extinguisher near the living room exit and another near any fireplaces or space heaters. Offices – In an office setting, fire extinguishers should be placed near exits, copy rooms, break rooms, and any other areas with electrical devices or flammable materials.
Place fire extinguishers within reach on every level of your home. For your main home protection, install a 2-A: 10-B:C rated living area unit on every level of your home. Install close to exits, and in the kitchen and garage. Include all locations where a fire may start.
It's smart to keep a fire extinguisher in your garage. According to the US Fire Administration, garage fires tend to spread farther, causing more injuries, and cost more for repairs than fires that start in any other area of the home.
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.
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.
Do not hide them behind a screen, a door or a retail display as inaccessibility makes them next to useless. Other places to fix them are at fire exit doors and tops and/or bottom of stairs. In essence, they should be on fire exit routes whilst not obstructing the route itself.
Near Heat Sources
Whether it is your chimney and fireplace, a room heater, or pellet stove, make sure you know exactly where the closest extinguisher is to each heat source. Just like cooking equipment, do not keep the extinguishers right next to the heat source, but at a safe distance away.
Fire extinguishers are required in most commercial, industrial and residential buildings. The only buildings where fire extinguishers are not mandated are family homes.
Spacing. Fire extinguisher spacing is addressed in NFPA 10 (Standard for portable fire extinguishers) section 6.2. 1.1. The standard rule of thumb is a travel distance of no more than 75 feet for class “A” hazards and fifty feet travel distance for class “B” hazards.