A quick guide to fire extinguisher legislation
Fire safety, of which fire extinguishers are an integral and essential part, cannot be neglected or brushed off. In 2020, fire and rescue services attended 153,278 incidents, and more than 220 people lost their lives in fires during the same year. Observing prescribed fire extinguisher safety can prevent many of these incidents and deaths.
Legislation on fire extinguisher safety
The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 governs all fire safety matters in England and Wales. Also known as the RRO, this order pertains to fire safety on all non-domestic premises, with some rare exceptions.
The UK had approximately 70 different legislative variants regulating fire safety before the proclamation of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. The Fire Safety (Scotland) Regulations 2006 regulate fire safety in Scotland and the Fire Safety Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2010 regulate fire safety in Northern Ireland.
The number of fire extinguishers required in a business premises
The fire extinguisher regulations in the UK prescribe that two Class A fire extinguishers are available on every floor of a building. Substances such as wood, paper, straw and textiles can cause Class A fires, which are also known as carbonaceous fires.
Fire extinguishers in this range include 3 and 6-litre foam extinguishers and 9-litre water extinguishers. Your company would require a combination of any two of these for each floor of your business premises.
Exceptions to the above include small premises, such as kiosks and food trucks, where the presence of two fire extinguishers hamper emergency exit routes.
Other types of fire extinguishers that might be required
The equipment or nature of work activities of a business establishes the need for additional or different types of fire extinguishers. Typically, the regulations prescribe CO2 fire extinguishers, which are commonly used for electrical fires.
Premises with any electrical equipment must have 2 kg CO2 fire extinguishers. Should the stated equipment be 415 volts, the company must ensure that it has 5 kg CO2 fire extinguishers.
As most business premises house some or other form of electricity, CO2 fire extinguishers are required. These should be paired with either the foam or water fire extinguishers. A standard pair refers to water-based and CO2 fire extinguishers.
Where must fire extinguishers be located?
Ordinarily, fire extinguishers should be placed by emergency exits or fire alarm call points. If a building’s emergency exits or fire alarm call points exceed the number of fire extinguishers required, the 30-metre rule should be applied. This rule, contained in the UK British Standards (BS5306), stipulates that building occupants should be no more than 30 metres from a fire extinguisher.
Fire extinguishers designed for special purposes, such as wet chemical or dry powder fire extinguishers, must always be in reach of the specific hazard. These include substances such as flammable liquids, gases or cooking oils.
Required signage
Different types of fires require different extinguishers. It is important that building occupants know where to find fire extinguishers and which ones to use in the event of a fire. Businesses must carry signage indicating the location and identity of fire extinguishers. Fire extinguisher identity signs also carry instructions on how and when the equipment should be used.
Fitting of fire extinguishers
People tend to use fire extinguishers to prop open doors. These are often fire doors that should remain closed. Fire extinguisher regulations prescribe that fire extinguishers should either be fitted to walls or stands designed for this purpose.
Fire extinguisher commissioning
Commissioned fire extinguishers are those that were inspected and approved. Compliance with UK fire safety legislation requires the commissioning of all fire extinguishers, despite having the prescribed amount and correct type of fire extinguishers.
Fire extinguishing engineers conduct these inspections. They inspect things such as:
- The attachment and condition of all hoses.
- The weight of the fire extinguisher.
- Damage to the casing, hosing or pressure devices.
These engineers issue certificates of compliance to verify the commissioning of fire extinguishers.
Servicing of fire extinguishers
All fire extinguishers must be serviced at least once a year. These annual services should be conducted by persons who are BAFE (British Approvals for Fire Equipment) qualified or have an equivalent to these qualifications.
The following should be included in a service:
- The overall and visible condition of the fire extinguisher.
- Inspection for any signs of tampering.
- Weight and pressure of the fire extinguisher.
- Functioning of the pin.
- The condition and working of all hoses.
- Legibility of the instructions attached to the fire extinguisher.
Showing compliance with servicing regulations
Proof that fire extinguishers were serviced include the following:
- A service label indicating the service date and when the next service is due. This service label will also indicate if the fire extinguisher was refilled or should be replaced.
- An anti-tamper tag that prevents tampering (whether intentional or accidental) with the pin. This does not apply to plastic pins, which should be replaced annually.
- Replacement of the O-ring that ensures an airtight seal.
- An in-date service certificate from the qualified person or company that serviced the fire extinguisher.
Replacement of fire extinguishers
UK British Standard BS5306 stipulates that water, foam and powder fire extinguishers undergo discharge tests every five years and CO2 fire extinguishers every 10 years. CO2 extinguishers undergo hydraulic tests. The results indicate whether an extinguisher should be refilled or replaced.
Fire extinguishers should be replaced and not refilled. Disposing of the contents of fire extinguishers in public drains harms the environment. Specialists have the means to dispose of the residual content safely.