Portable fire extinguishers are available in various types to combat numerous categories of fire. Choosing the best fire extinguisher to meet your requirements is critical to protect your family and belongings. Let’s look at three primary aspects to consider when finding the right fire safety tools for your needs.
- Types of Hazards
Generally, the types of potential hazards in your property can help you determine what types of fire may break out. These hazards include combustible liquids, such as gas or oil, and electrical tools and appliances. Older models of fire extinguishers come with dyed and geometrically shaped labels to display their classification. On the other hand, newer fire extinguishers have pictured labels showing the hazard types they can extinguish.
- Size of Fire Extinguisher
Your fire extinguisher needs to be of the right size to remove an incipient-stage fire. The fire safety equipment shouldn’t be heavier or bulkier as it can become difficult for ordinary to use it in an emergency. Choosing the right size of fire extinguisher requires considering the room size and identifying how quickly the fire could spread across the area. Some of the most frequently used fire extinguisher sizes for residential and commercial properties include the following.
- 2-pound Fire Extinguisher
The fire extinguisher with a 2-pound size can best help put out the fire in the trucks or cars.
- 5-pound Fire Extinguisher
These fire safety cylinders are usually the best match for typical commercial and residential spaces.
- 10-pound Fire Extinguishers
It is another more frequently used fire extinguisher that works best for warehouses, garages, workshops, and other commercial spaces with a significantly increased number of hazardous materials.
- Using the Fire Extinguisher
Buying the best fire extinguisher is not enough to combat fires if you do not know how to use it correctly. Therefore, benefiting from your chosen fire extinguisher is to know the proper way to use it in emergencies. Make sure you and your employees get the necessary training on how to get rid of fire with fire safety equipment.