Fire Extinguishers: There to Be Used

When you consider the value of fire extinguishers, do you think they are there for the occupants to use to put out small fires? Or do you question whether they should be present at all?

Do you think that it’s right to train staff in their use? Or is it best not to, on the basis that your instructions are for staff to simply get out, and you don’t wish to turn them into firefighters?

It’s certainly not an area in which there’s consistency of opinion. What’s the argument for their provision and use?

They’re effective
The Chief Fire Officers Association published a paper a few years ago which said that 90 percent of fires in commercial premises were extinguished by the occupants using the extinguishers provided.

This has to be a good thing (doesn’t it?) as extinguishing small fires saves lives by preventing the fire from growing to a point where it puts building occupants and the fire service at risk. It’s certainly a strong argument for trying to put out a small fire in a building with a high-risk population — e.g., institutions, sleeping accommodations, nightclubs.

Two years ago there was a fire at a holiday house I run (caused by a plastic kettle being put on the gas hob!). The occupants put it out with a dry powder extinguisher I’d provided. No one was injured. In fact the only casualties were the kettle, the hob, the fire extinguisher, and, later, the vacuum cleaner (a victim of the clean-up process). I was extremely grateful that someone with some training put out that fire. Tell me that my tenants shouldn’t have tried, and, like many business owners, I’d find it difficult to agree.

It doesn’t have to be risky
With good training any person who picks up practical skills well, can use a fire extinguisher. The time required to discharge most extinguishers is very short — 10 to 40 seconds spent blasting at a small fire from a safe distance shouldn’t put you at risk. (OK — you need the right type of extinguisher, right circumstances, etc., but that’s why the training needs to be good, hands-on, involving a real fire, etc.)

It’s a legal requirement
It doesn’t seem to be a universally known fact that this is the case, but it’s true, at least in England and Wales. Article 13 of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (RRO) states that the responsible person (i.e., the employer) must, where necessary, nominate competent persons to implement fire fighting measures and ensure the number of such persons and their training are adequate. Equivalent legislation in Scotland and Northern Ireland places similar requirements on employers.

To demonstrate the lack of understanding in this area, London’s Communities and Local Government (CLG) department, which oversees fire safety, was served with an enforcement order under the RRO about three years ago. Various offences were cited, including contravening Article 13. It was reported that CLG operated an “unacceptable” policy that no one should use portable fire extinguishers in its London headquarters.

What’s the argument against?

Essentially, a little knowledge is a dangerous thing. And fighting fires is extremely dangerous.

In fires it’s the smoke that is the primary killer. It’s a toxic combination of carbon monoxide, hydrogen cyanide, and other asphyxiants; inorganic acidic gases such as oxides of sulphur, ammonia, phosgene, and formaldehyde; organic substances such as dioxins and isocyanates; and particulates. The smoke is also very hot. Inhaling a couple of breaths of hot and toxic smoke could be fatal.

Training
It’s not a topic to be taken lightly — extinguisher training needs to be done thoroughly and involve hands-on practice. It must also include background information so that staff can exercise judgement and keep themselves safe.

Showing a five-minute video on how to operate an extinguisher just doesn’t cut it when you consider the risks.

Furthermore, in some environments, due to the hazardous substances in use, your fire procedure should tell staff not to fight a fire at all and to just get themselves out. Fire extinguishers in these circumstances should be reserved for use where they’re needed for escape purposes.