What are the Rules for Fighting Fires?
Fighting a fire yourself is an incredibly risky task and as such there are a number of rules and regulations that you need to consider before you attempt to extinguish a fire on your own.
By following these rules you can save yourself and those around you from severe and possibly fatal consequences.
Contact the Emergency Services
If you discover a fire, before you attempt to tackle it yourself it is important that you consider whether or not it is necessary to involve the fire brigade. Unless you are absolutely sure that you can extinguish the fire yourself, seek help from the emergency services immediately. If there is any sort of doubt that you can manage the fire, evacuate the building using your designated evacuation path and evacuation point.
What Kind of Fire is it?
Different fires require different extinguishers to put them out, depending on the source of the fire. Fire extinguishers come in different classes and each class is suitable for a different type of fire:
- Class A – Suitable for solids such as wood, plastic and paper
- Class B – Suitable for flammable liquids such as paraffin, petrol and oil
- Class C – Suitable for flammable gases such as propane, butane and methane
- Class D – Suitable for metals such as aluminium, magnesium and titanium
- Class E – Suitable for electrical fires
- Class F – Suitable for cooking oil and cooking fat fires
Using the wrong type of fire extinguisher will have no reduction on the fire you are tackling and in some cases it can even exacerbate the fire (e.g. using a water based extinguisher on an electrical fire). Make sure you and anyone else in your building or environment is aware of these variations.
Evacuate your Building
Sounding the alarm on discovery of a fire is the first thing you should do. In a work environment, your company should have a fire safety procedure in place that includes things like evacuation routes and meeting points. All inhabitants of the building, including regular visitors and occupants should know these procedures, enabling them to evacuate the building safely and efficiently.
Here at City Fire Protection, we are one of the leading independent fire protection companies, providing the highest quality service to customers across London, Essex and Birmingham. Our skilled, experienced and knowledgeable staff can repair, install and replace a wide variety of fire safety equipment from fire extinguishers to sprinklers and emergency lighting. For more information about our fire protection services, get in touch with us today and we’ll be more than happy to help.
