FACTS

1. Significant health, safety, and environmental risks can result if untrained personnel attempt to work on the pressurized internal components of a fire extinguisher.
2. Proper inspection, maintenance, and disposal of fire extinguishers can prevent potentially dangerous malfunctions.
3. Fire extinguishers should be operated using the PASS technique: Pull out the safety pin, Aim the extinguisher at the base of the fire, Squeeze the handle, and Sweep the spray from side to side.
4. Class A fires involve ordinary materials that easily burn, such as paper, cloth, and some plastics. Class B fires are from flammable liquids such as gasoline, non-cooking oils, solvents, and alcohols. Class C fires involve electrical equipment such as appliances, computers, and power tools that are plugged into a live/hot electrical outlet. Class D fires include metal powders and shavings. Class K fires are due to cooking oils and grease used in deep fat fryers in commercial kitchens.

STATS

• 94 % of the time a portable fire extinguisher is used, it puts out the fire–typically within the initial two minutes.
• Approximately 80% of all fire incidents, a simple portable fire extinguisher is all that is needed to put out the fire.
• 2600 incidents recorded it concluded that in 81.5% of cases the portable extinguisher successfully extinguished the fire.
• 60 % of poor maintenance and incorrect usage of fire extinguishers in the home have caused considerable damage to property.
• 30% of portable fire extinguishers in the workplace are not in good working order.
• Many businesses that suffer a major fire either do not reopen or fail within three years.
• In 60% of all fire incidents which occur, the fire department is never notified if a fire extinguisher is present and accessible. Almost 2 million fires are handled entirely by a fire extinguisher in the U.S. every year.
• Fire extinguishers can effectively put out 80% of all fires, even if the extinguisher is classified as a portable unit. When a fire extinguisher is used on a fire in the United States, 75% of the time, the fire department is not required to attend the incident.