How Can you Protect Yourself and Your Building in a Time of Emergency?

A fire extinguisher hanging on the wall of your office, shop or society lobby can stop a small fire from turning into a big one. It can also get someone hurt if they use it at the wrong time. This page is about knowing when to pick it up, how to use it, and when to put it down and leave.

First things first

Before anyone touches an extinguisher, three things must happen:

1. Raise the alarm. Shout “Fire!” and press the nearest fire alarm call point if there is one.
2. Call for help. Dial 101 for the fire brigade or 112. Give the full address, the floor and what is burning. Do this even if the fire looks small. If it gets worse, help is already on the way.
3. Get everyone else moving out. Children, elderly people and visitors should start leaving at once.

When it is safe to use an extinguisher

Use one only if every one of these is true:

• You have been trained, and you know which kind of fire this extinguisher is for.
• The fire is small and in one place, like a dustbin, a small pile of paper or one appliance.
• Smoke is not filling the room.
• Everyone else is leaving.
• Your way out is behind you, and the fire cannot get between you and that exit.

If any one of these is not true, do not fight the fire. Get out, close the door behind you and wait for the fire brigade outside. Leaving is never the wrong choice.

Pick the right extinguisher

In India, fires are grouped by what is burning. The Bureau of Indian Standards uses these classes:

• Class A: ordinary solids such as wood, paper, cloth, rubber and plastics.
• Class B: flammable liquids such as petrol, diesel, paint and thinner.
• Class C: flammable gases such as LPG.
• Class D: burning metals such as magnesium and aluminium.
• Class F: cooking oils and fats in a kadhai or fryer.

Every extinguisher is marked with the classes it can be used on. Read the label before a fire, not during one. Never use water on wiring or appliances that are still live, or on burning cooking oil. American guides talk about “Class K” for kitchen fires; in India the equivalent is Class F.

How to use it: PASS

Most portable extinguishers work the same way. Stand a few steps back from the fire with your exit behind you.

1. Pull the safety pin. This breaks the tamper seal.
2. Aim the nozzle or hose low, at the base of the fire, not at the flames.
3. Squeeze the handle slowly and evenly.
4. Sweep from side to side across the base of the fire until it goes out.

Then back away slowly, still facing the fire. Watch it for a while, because it can flare up again. A portable extinguisher empties in seconds. If the fire is not clearly getting smaller, or the extinguisher runs out, stop and leave at once.

PASS tells you how to work the extinguisher. It does not tell you whether it is safe to fight the fire. That decision comes first.

Keep your extinguishers ready

• Mount them where people can see and reach them without going near the hazard, such as beside an exit.
• Once a month, look at the pressure gauge. The needle should be in the green.
• Check that the pin and seal are in place, and that the hose, nozzle and body are not cracked, dented or rusted.
• Get any used, damaged or low-pressure extinguisher refilled or serviced straight away by a competent agency, and follow BIS standards and the maker’s instructions for servicing and testing.

An online video can show you the steps, but it cannot show you what heat and smoke feel like. Ask your local fire station or a competent trainer for a hands-on session. Many fire services run them for societies and offices.

Today, find the nearest extinguisher at home or at work. Read its label, check the gauge, and make sure nothing is stacked in front of it.