About Fire Extinguishers
This course cannot possibly cover all aspects of fire extinguishers and fire prevention, but the information will help you become more knowledgeable and better able to make decisions in the event of a fire. You will also gain a better understanding of what emergency action to take in the event of a fire. The objective of the training is to save lives and property, in that order.
This course has been designed for general awareness purposes only. Never use a fire extinguisher unless you have been designated by your employer and have received proper training on its use, which includes hands-on training and annual retraining.
Fire extinguishers are pressurized devices that release different types of chemicals or water to suppress or extinguish a fire. They keep small fires from spreading, assist in controlling the spread of fires until the fire department arrives, and can help provide an escape route for you and your co-workers.
There are five different types or classes of fire extinguishers, each of which extinguishes a specific type of fire. Newer fire extinguishers use a picture/labeling system to designate which types of fires they are effective on. Older fire extinguishers are labeled with colored geometrical shapes with letter designations.
Additionally, some fire extinguishers have a numerical rating (for example 2-A:10B:C) which is based on tests conducted by Underwriter’s Laboratories that are designed to determine the extinguishing potential for each size and type of extinguisher. The higher the rating number, the more fire-fighting power.