Inspection & Writing Assignment:
Here is an example of a fire extinguisher that has a cracked hose. This would need to be noted as in need of repair as it poses a risk of not functioning as intended. Inspectors should be very detailed when inspecting the hose. A common practice is to bend the hose in several directions to see if it cracks, then to inspect it closely.
Research & Writing Assignment:
When selecting a fire extinguisher it is important to know that there are several types of extinguishers and they are rated for various classes of fires. This is determined by the fire causing source. They are as follows.
Class A. This type of fire is caused by ordinary combustibles, such as paper or wood.
Class B. This type of fire is from combustible liquids. This includes gasoline, oil, grease and kerosene.
Class C. These fire are electrical in nature. It’s important to note that these types of extinguishers can not use any chemicals that are conductive as this would pose a shock risk to the operator.
Class D. These fire are from combustible metals such as sodium, potassium, titanium, and magnesium. These fires are rare and generally happen within laboratories.
Class K is the final class and is most common in the kitchen. The fire involves vegetable oils and animal fats.
Inspection & Writing Assignment:
Fire extinguishers are a standard feature in many public buildings and private homes. One way to help ensure they will work properly when needed is to follow the federally-mandated inspection schedule. These inspections are supposed to be recorded on a hang tag attached to each fire extinguisher. In addition to a list of the inspections and the dates they were performed, the inspection tags typically include a description of the extinguisher, including the make and model number. Checking to ensure the tags are present and contain accurate, up-to-date information is an important element of most building safety inspections.
Research & Writing Assignment:
Almost all fires are small in their incipient stage and can be put out quickly if the proper firefighting equipment is available and the person discovering the fire has been trained to use the equipment at hand. Most facilities turn to portable fire extinguishers for fighting incipient stage fires. The requirements for portable fire extinguishers in general industry are governed by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and are located in 29 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 1910.157.
To be effective, according to OSHA, portable fire extinguishers must be:
Approved by a recognized testing laboratory; extinguishers manufactured in the U.S. are generally approved by FM Global and listed by Underwriters’ Laboratories, Inc. (UL))
Of the proper type for the class of fire expected.
Located where they are readily accessible for immediate use and in sufficient quantity and size to deal with the expected fire
Inspected and maintained on a regular basis so that they are kept in good operating condition and operated by trained personnel who can use them effectively.
Underwriters Laboratories classifies fire extinguishers by the type of fire that they will extinguish.
Class A fire extinguishers are used for ordinary combustibles such as wood, paper, some plastics and textiles. This fire class requires the heat-absorbing effects of water or the coating effects of certain dry chemicals. Extinguishers suitable for Class A fires should be identified by a triangle containing the letter A. If in color, the triangle should be green.
Class B fire extinguishers are used for flammable liquid and gas fires such as oil, gasoline, etc. These fire extinguishers deprive the fire of oxygen and interrupt the fire chain by inhibiting the release of combustible vapors. Extinguishers suitable for Class B fires should be identified by a square containing the letter B. If in color, the square should be red.
Class C fire extinguishers are used on fires that involve live electrical equipment that require the use of electrically nonconductive extinguishing agents. Once the electrical equipment is de-energized, extinguishers for Class A or B fires may be used. Extinguishers suitable for Class C fires should be identified by a circle containing the letter C. If in color, the circle should be blue.
Class D fire extinguishers are used on combustible metals such as magnesium, titanium, sodium, etc., that require an extinguishing medium that does not react with the burning metal. Extinguishers suitable for Class D fires should be identified by a five-point painted star containing the letter D. If in color, the star should be yellow.
Class K fire extinguishers are used on fires involving cooking media (fats, grease and oils) in commercial kitchens. Due to the higher heating rates of vegetable oils in commercial cooking appliances, the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Standard for Portable Fire Extinguishers (NFPA 10) includes a Class K extinguisher. These fire extinguishers work on the principle of saponification, which takes place when alkaline mixtures such as potassium acetate, potassium citrate or potassium carbonate are applied to burning cooking oil or fat. The alkaline mixture combined with the fatty acid creates a soapy foam on the surface that holds in the vapors and steam and extinguishes the fire. These extinguishers are identified by the letter K.
Portable fire extinguishers are labeled so users can quickly identify the classes of fire on which the extinguisher will be effective. The marking system combines pictographs of both recommended and unacceptable extinguisher types on a single identification label. Following are examples of typical labels.
Also located on the fire extinguisher label is the UL rating, which is broken down into Class A and Class B:C ratings. These numerical ratings allow you to compare the relative extinguishing effectiveness of various fire extinguishers. For example, an extinguisher that is rated 4A:20B:C indicates the following:
The A rating is a water equivalency rating. Each A is equivalent to 1.25 gallons of water. 4A = 5 gallons of water.
The B:C rating is equivalent to the amount of square footage the extinguisher can cover, related to the degree of training and experience of the operator. 20 B:C = 20 square feet of coverage.
C indicates it is suitable for use on electrically energized equipment.
When analyzing these ratings, note that there is not a numerical rating for Class C or Class D fires. Class C fires are essentially either a Class A or Class B fire involving energized electrical equipment where the fire extinguishing media must be non-conductive. The fire extinguisher for a Class C fire should be based on the amount of the Class A or Class B component. For extinguisher use on a Class D fire, the relative effectiveness is detailed on the extinguisher nameplate for the specific combustible metal fire for which it is suggested.
OSHA requires employers to select and distribute fire extinguishers based on the classes of anticipated workplace fires and also on the size and degree of the hazard, which would affect their use. The following chart contains the OSHA-specified maximum travel distances to an extinguisher by fire class.
Inspection & Writing Assignment:
The fire extinguisher appears to be in really good shape, it is rated for , types A, B, & C the hose is in good shape labels are present and ledgable, the gauge is present and in the green and the safety pin is made of plastic and present on the extinguisher.
Research & Writing Assignment:
This is a new roof only about 2 two years my concerns are the lack of rain gutters and down spouts on the home.
Also the facia board going up the rake has separation, allowing water to run in behind the facia causing water damage.
Recommendation is for a contractor to come in and address the problem areas
Inspection & Writing Assignment:
This is a typical portable fire extinguisher with a pressure gauge. I want to make sure the exterior is in good condition, the pressure gauge is in the proper area and the hose is in good condition with no cracks at all. After the inspection, the bottle should be tagged and include the inspectors initials and month/year.
Research & Writing Assignment:
Fire safety in the home is very important and should never be taken lightly. Some steps to stay on top of fire safety are: plan an escape , practice that escape, have an escape plan that matches your abilities, keep a phone near your bed in case your exit is blocked and keep some type of shoes near your bed too. Smoke/fire and CO detectors are also very important and should be tested monthly.
Inspection & Writing Assignment:
Make sure the extinguisher is in its designated place, is visible, and is accessible for immediate use. Check to ensure that there is adequate signage above the extinguisher to indicate its location. Check service date to determine need for inspection or maintenance. The date is shown on the tag.
Research & Writing Assignment:
Make sure the extinguisher is in its designated place, is visible, and is accessible for immediate use. Check to ensure that there is adequate signage above the extinguisher to indicate its location. Check service date to determine need for inspection or maintenance. The date is shown on the tag.
Inspection & Writing Assignment:
Hi Everyone, This is a new Fire extinguisher. As you can see we have dated the plate with the month and year as required. This does have the safety seal and pin still installed. We will be checking this every month to make sure it is good and hasn’t lost any pressure.
Thank you
Research & Writing Assignment:
Your fire extinguisher are devices found around the home in stores or on job sites and many other places. They are mainly used to douse fires and prevent the spread of them. They are normaly a small red container with compressed gas. That when they are sprayed a flame retardant chemical comes out.
Inspection & Writing Assignment:
This fire extinguisher is very visible and accessible to the public. It is in a bar/restaurant. The inspection tag is for annual inspection reporting and it is current. The instructions are clearly visible and my check shows that it is in proper working condition.
Research & Writing Assignment:
Reading the article on firestop showed me a product I had never heard of. Intumescent is any material that will expand when heated and seal off an opening such as if an electric wire melts during a fire. The opening will be closed off by this material.
Inspection & Writing Assignment:
Most modern fire extinguishers contain gauge to determine if the extinguisher is ready for use, however the extinguisher should still have the recommended service intervals. As you can see from the photo this extinguisher fails to have a tag and the homeowner claimed its last service was about 15 years ago!
Research & Writing Assignment:
Fire extinguishers are primarily for small fires however recently I was in a home that had been remodeled and the contractor failed to reinstall any smoke detectors. The first step in fire safety is being prepared however if the homeowner is unaware of a fire a small fire could become a large fire or catastrophic fire quickly.
Inspection & Writing Assignment:
This fire extinguisher is less than 1 year old and was in good condition. It passed my inspection but lacked a tag to document this inspection and further inspections. Recommend having a tag installed and that this be checked monthly.
Research & Writing Assignment:
Fire extinguishers are a very important tool for home, office and commercial spaces, and the use of the proper Type for each area covered is crucial. When placing fire extinguishers in an area, it is important to determine what kind of fire is likely and be sure that you choose the correct type of extinguisher for that fire.
Inspection & Writing Assignment:
The portable fire extinguisher pictured is a residential type B & C extinguisher meaning it can extinguish both liquid and electrical based fires. According to the manufacturer instructions and NFPA 10, this extinguisher must be removed from service 12 years after its manufacture date. This particular extinguisher has a manufacture date of Sept 4, 2008 so it is good until September 2020.
Research & Writing Assignment:
No fire extinguisher can be safely and effectively used for every type of fire. Some contain chemicals that are ineffective in certain situations and can even cause harm to the operator if misapplied. To prevent confusion, extinguishers are classified by the type of chemical agents they contain.
