When that fine mist comes into contact with the oil or grease’s surface, a saponification effect is produced. What does this mean? The creation of a soapy film that seals the surface and separates it from the air. This mist also has a cooling effect because part of these fine drops gets vaporised making oil and grease’s temperatures diminish. Portable fire-fighting equipment – siting, maintenance, testing and training Siting: the following should be considered: • Extinguishers should normally be sited on escape routes on all floors at fire points. • They should be fixed in a location where the extinguisher can be reached quickly. The best place is near a door leading to a place of safety or near a specific fire risk. • They should be fixed where they can be easily seen. Fixing them inside cupboards or behind doors will only waste valuable time if a fire breaks out. • Do not place them over cookers or heaters or in places of extreme temperatures, hot or cold. • Extinguishers should be fixed at an elevated height so that the carrying handle is 1m from the floor for heavier units (heavier than 4kg) and 1.5m for smaller units.
Maintenance, inspection, and testing: Extinguishers in use should be visually inspected monthly for damage and should be serviced once a year. Water, foam, and powder extinguishers should be discharged and refilled every five years. CO2 extinguishers should be refurbished after ten years. Inspections may need to be carried out more frequently in locations where they are likely to suffer damage (for example construction sites, and chemical plants). Pressure and discharge testing of fire extinguishers is usually 5 years for water, powder and foam and 10 years for carbon dioxide to confirm that it operates as it should. Additionally, a hydrostatic will be performed to ensure the cylinder is still safe to use. Training requirements: Fire extinguishers are only useful if workers know how to use them. In some countries (for example, the UK and the USA) it is a legal requirement. However, there are several other good reasons for fire extinguisher training: • It can prevent injuries: an untrained worker may stand too close to the flames or extend their arms near enough to be burned while holding an extinguisher. Or they may try to fight the fire when it is between them and the exit, which training will teach you is extremely dangerous (and can lead to you getting trapped in the building with no means of egress). • It can limit or prevent property damage: a small fire that can be easily extinguished can quickly turn into a large-scale blaze that engulfs major sections of the building.
©SHEilds – All rights reserved FC V 5 JUN 2021
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