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Water extinguishers are only used for Class A fires. Credit to Margarita Emmanuelli on Pinterest for this chart.Īs you can see from the following chart, there are 5 fire extinguisher colours in the UK: Red, Cream, Blue, Black and Yellow Fire extinguisher types and uses Water fire extinguishers (red label) This chart visualises the fire extinguisher types used in the UK and the types of fire for which they are suitable, as well as their colour codes.įire extinguisher types and colours in the UK. Carbon Dioxide (‘CO2’) fire extinguishers.Dry Powder – standard or specialist fire extinguishers.Water, water mist or water spray fire extinguishers.
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There are five different fire extinguishers, which are: Approximate prices given below include VAT. Some firms charge for installation and commissioning, but they should be supplied with a 5-year warranty and mounting brackets included. The future cost of servicing will also need to be taken into consideration. The prices of all extinguishers vary widely according to supplier, so purchasers are advised to shop around.
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#Blue fire vs red fire download
Want to find out more about the latest legislation and news in the fire safety sector? Download our free 2023 annual fire safety report with regulatory updates and exclusive insight into issues such as lithium ion battery fires and more. A small coloured band indicates the type of fire extinguisher – red for water, white and red for water mist, cream colour for foam, blue for dry powder, yellow coded extinguishers are used for wet chemical, green for clean agent and black for CO2 extinguishers.
#Blue fire vs red fire portable
In the UK, portable fire extinguishers must conform to BS EN3 Standard, which specifies that their body is coloured red.
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These can be divided into six fire classes involving different substances: The first step is to look at what materials are present in the area to be protected from fire. According to a survey from companies in the four main trade associations in the UK fire sector, the number of fires being successfully extinguished by portable devices has increased from 80% in 2003 to 93% in 2021. The good news is that portable fire extinguishers are effective and are saving lives. No single extinguisher can be used to tackle every fire, and because each type of fire extinguisher has different categories of fire on which it is effective, selection can be a minefield.
#Blue fire vs red fire how to
So here’s a useful guide on how to choose the right type and class of fire extinguisher for the appropriate scenario, including colour codes, fire classes and uses. Choosing fire extinguisher types for the relevant class of fire could literally be the difference between life and death.
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