Buying a fire extinguisher is one thing. Putting it in the right place is just as important.
There’s not much point having an extinguisher buried at the back of a cupboard or behind boxes when you suddenly need it.
In your home or business, extinguishers should be visible and easy to access, and within reach without having to move towards the fire.
The kitchen is an obvious area to consider in the home, but don’t put an extinguisher right beside the cooker. If that’s where the fire starts, you don’t want to have to reach past the fire to get to it. Hallways and areas close to exits can also be sensible locations, along with an accessible location upstairs.
In businesses, it’s normally recommended to have extinguishers at entrances and exits, but it’s equally as important to have extinguishers at the end of corridors, containing offices for example. If your exit route is blocked, having access to an extinguisher can greatly increase your chance of escape. A good rule of thumb when positioning extinguishers is that you can get to either an exit or an extinguisher if a fire were to start.
And remember that different types of fire require different equipment. A fire involving cooking oil, for example, needs to be treated differently from a fire involving ordinary combustible materials or electrical equipment.
The simple rule is this: the right extinguisher in the right place, where you can safely reach it when you need it.
Because in an emergency, you don’t want to be trying to remember where you put it.
If you would like us to call to your home or business to do a survey, get in touch, and we’d be more than happy to do so.
Stay Safe!