Fire

• Legislation
• Fire needs
• Fire safety tips
• Fire categories
• Fire extinguishers
• Colour coded fire extinguishers
• Remember!

Consult the London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority or your local fire station about fire safety in your premises, for more information go to www.london-fire.gov.uk.

Legislation

Visit:

• Statutory Instrument 1999 No. 1877 (The Fire Precautions (Workplace) (Amendment) Regulations 1999)
• The Fire Precautions (Application for Certificate) Regulations 1989

It is your responsibility as an employer to ensure that you read and implement the requirements of current fire safety regulations.

Fire needs

For a fire to start the following are required: Oxygen,  Fuel, and Ignition.

• Fire safety tips
• Practice fire drills regularly
• Appoint fire officers or marshals
• Liase with your local fire station
• Test fire extinguishers annually and keep them accessible
• Keep fire exits clear at all times
• Train staff in emergency procedures
• Keep fire doors closed but not locked or propped open
• Establish evacuation assembly point
• Service alarms and extinguishers regularly

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Fire Safety Tips

If there is a fire:

• Sound the alarm and call the fire brigade
  Shut doors and windows
• Switch of gas and electricity
• Walk out of the building (do not run)
• Assemble at a pre-arranged point
• Don't go back into the building until instructed by the fire brigade

Fire categories

It is important that the type of fire is identified first:

• Class A: solids such as paper, wood, plastic and so on
• Class B: flammable liquids such as paraffin, petrol, oil and so on
• Class C: flammable gases such as propane, butane, methane and so on
• Class D: metals such as aluminium, magnesium, titanium so on
• Class E: Fires involving electrical apparatus 
• Class F: Cooking oil and fat and such like

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Fire extinguishers

There are a number of differently coloured and filled extinguishers, each of which are designed for a specific type of fire.

For full details visit the following two sites:

• FireNet International - Choosing an extinguisher  
•  MFS Fire Extinguishers

Water filled extinguishers: Used for Class A fires. Not suitable for Class B (Liquid) fires, or where electricity is involved.

Foam filled extinguishers: Classes A and B fires. Foam spray extinguishers are not recommended for fires involving electricity, but are safer than water if inadvertently sprayed onto live electrical apparatus.

Dry powder: Classes A, B and C fires. Best for running liquid fires (Class B). Will efficiently extinguish Class C gas fires, but beware, it can be dangerous to extinguish a gas fire without first isolating the gas supply. Special powders are available for class D metal fires. 

CO2 extinguishers: Carbon Dioxide is ideal for fires involving electrical apparatus, and will also extinguish class B liquid fires.

Wet chemical: Specialist extinguisher for class F fires.

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Colour coded fire extinguishers

Before 1 January 1997, the code of practice for fire extinguishers in the UK was BS 5423, which advised the colour coding of extinguishers as follows:

• Water - red
• Powder - blue
• Foam - white
• CO2 - black
• Halon - green (No longer legal from December 2003)

New fire extinguishers must conform to BS EN 3. The whole extinguisher must be coloured red. 5 per cent of the external area can be used to identify the contents using the old colour coding listed above.

Remember!

• Fire extinguishers are not to be used as door stops, nor are they there to hang articles of equipment on
• Fire doors and exists must be kept unlocked and unobstructed (even if you are concerned about security)
• If a fire exit has to be locked then it is important to ensure that the key is kept in a box with a breakable glass front next to the door.
• Panic bars can be fitted to exit doors with twist locks.