Page 368 - IGC BOOK

Portable Fire-fighting equipment

To extinguish the fire at early stages firefighting equipment must be in place for people to use. The
extinguisher must be appropriate to the risks, the classification must be clearly labelled.

Wood, Petrol, Electrical
paper, straw, diesel, equipment,
textiles, coal paints etc. flammable liquids
etc.

Mixed – solids, Cooking oil /
flammable liquids, deep fat
gases, electrical
fryers
Fire blanket
Siting, Maintenance and Training

Fire extinguishers should be positioned on fire exit routes, near exit doors and close to the
specific hazard that they are provided to protect against (e.g. a fire blanket close to a gas
hob in a kitchen). Ideally, no-one should have to travel more than 30 metres to reach an
extinguisher. Fire extinguishers should be fixed to the wall at a comfortable height (usually
1 metre for larger extinguishers and 1.5 metres for smaller ones) or may be on
stands/trolleys. They should be clearly visible and signed.

Fire extinguishers must be inspected and maintained routinely to ensure that they
are always available in safe working condition:

• Frequent routine inspections – ensure that extinguishers are present at their designated
positions and that they appear to be in good condition. This might be done as part of a
routine housekeeping inspection or as a specific fire safety check, perhaps by fire
wardens.

• Planned preventive maintenance – ensure that they remain in safe working order. This

ENSIGN | Unit IG2 – Element 10 –Fire 23