February 28, 2024
How to Choose the Right Fire Extinguisher?
Ensuring the safety of occupants and, by extension, compliance with regulations requires equipment that is available to everyone. The Labor Code stipulates that public and private facilities must be equipped with a portable water-spray fire extinguisher with a capacity of 6 liters per 200 m² of floor space, with at least one unit per floor.
If the premises present specific fire hazards, particularly electrical hazards, they must be equipped with a number and type of fire extinguishers appropriate for those hazards. But every fire has its own fire extinguisher. Axima Sécurité Incendie, the Equans Group’s fire safety expert, explains how to choose the right equipment.
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What are the categories of fires and the corresponding types of fire extinguishers?
Many products are considered combustible and can therefore cause a fire. There are five different classes of fire. Each class is associated with one or more types of fire extinguishers. To properly fight a fire, you must know the class of fire you are dealing with and thus determine the most appropriate type of fire extinguisher (see diagrams below).
- Types of Fire Extinguishers
- Powder Fire Extinguishers
- Water-based fire extinguishers + additive
- Foam Fire Extinguishers
- CO2 Fire Extinguishers
*The "Electric" class does not officially exist but is often used to group electric lights.
What guidelines should be followed to ensure the quality and reliability of fire extinguishers?
All fire extinguishers have a 20-year service life. To ensure that the fire extinguisher is effective and meets specific requirements, it must comply with the NF EN3 standard and bear the CE marking. These European standards ensure that you have equipment that is reliable and of high quality.
However, like any equipment, the fire extinguisher is subject to frequent inspection and maintenance. Therefore, to ensure its reliability, fire extinguishers must be serviced annually.
An I4-NF285-certified (fire extinguisher installation and maintenance services) will provide an additional guarantee of quality and can issue an N4 certificate of compliance (after installation) and Q4 (after maintenance).
In addition to this annual maintenance, fire extinguishers must be inspected in a workshop every 10 years (inspection + replacement of the extinguishing agent). A more thorough inspection must also be performed every 5 and 15 years.
