Extinguish all doubts on how to use a fire extinguisher!

5/17/2019 (Permalink)

If something ignites at your St Clair County business, acting immediately will mitigate the amount of mayhem and loss a fire can cause. If your evacuation path is safe and will remain so, the first line of defense is a fire extinguisher. Educating yourself and others on the proper containment before flames spread is key to promptly preventing fire damage. 

Simplify the Steps for Easy Recollection in Stressful Times

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration recommends the widely used P.A.S.S. acronym for remembering the simplified procedure of operating an extinguisher:

• Pull the safety-pin at the top to break the safety seal
• Aim for the bottom of the fire
• Squeeze the handle or button
• Sweep horizontally while still aiming at the fire’s base

Spraying should continue until the blaze disappears. If the fire still roars after the extinguisher’s contents are empty, you should immediately evacuate yourself and others. If the blaze grows or presents a threat to the evacuation route, get to safety and let emergency services arrive.

Be Prepared With the Correct Class Within Grasp

There are multiple types of fire extinguishers. Some should not be used in certain fires as they may worsen the fire damage. They have labels displaying certain classes so you can easily distinguish their uses.

Class A are water-based extinguishers for cloth, wood, rubber, paper, and plastic fires. Class B use carbon dioxide to put out fires in flammable liquids such as oil and grease. Electrical fires need either a Class C or multipurpose dry chemical agent. 

A kitchen fire requires a special class K wet and dry chemical extinguisher that is specially made to handle intense deep fryer fires that Class B cannot.

Do Your Best and Let Professionals Handle the Rest

In the aftermath of a fire, there will be damage. Your business can receive professional restoration from your local commercial fire restoration company. Knowing how to choose and use the appropriate fire extinguisher, you are able to lessen the fire damage to make restoration services even easier and cheaper. Fires don’t have to turn your profits red too.