Buy Firechief Fire Supplies – Fire Extinguishers – UK Delivery 

Fire risks are categorised into classes. Fire extinguishers are then rated in their ability to fight these different classes of fires. Their fire fighting capability is thus indicated by letters for fire classes and a number which stands for the strength of the extinguisher in fighting this class. The higher the number, the more powerful the extinguisher is.

Fire Classes:

Class A Fires: Solid combustibles, such as wood, paper, textiles

Class B Fires: Flammable liquids, such as petrol, diesel and paraffin

Class C Fires: Flammable gases, such as LPG and natural gas

Class E Fires: Fires caused by electrical equipment (indicated by an electric spark symbol and not the letter E)

Class F Fires: Cooking fats, such as deep fat fryers oils

Med Approved: Marine Approved for Boats

CO² fire extinguishers

These units use pure carbon dioxide to suffocate fire and leave behind no residue once the fire is extinguished. They were originally designed for class B fires, which are flammable liquid fires, such as oil, petrol and solvents, however, these days CO² extinguishers are mainly used for the fire fighting on live electrical equipment. They are often installed next to foam extinguishers in offices with computers. The size of CO² units is stated in kg (of CO² gas) and the portable CO² extinguishers weigh 2 and 5 kg. In addition to our brand new CO² products we offer fully factory refurbished CO² extinguishers (pressure tested and re-painted). A specialist version of the CO² extinguisher is anti-magnetic and is installed in areas of high magnetic activity, such as hospitals’ MRI scanner suites.

Powder fire extinguishers

Also called ABC powder or dry powder extinguishers are powerful and versatile and can be used for class A (burning solids), class B (burning liquids) and class C (burning gas) fires. They can not be used on fat fires and deep fat fryer fires, as their jet would spread the burning fat. They should also not be used in confined spaces (small kitchen or boat cabins), as the powder can easily be inhaled. The residue of the powder makes the clean up after a discharge very difficult. We also stock a special powder fire extinguisher used for class D fires of flammable metals such as burning magnesium swarf. When comparing powder units, please note that BC powder does not offer the same protection as ABC powder.

Water fire extinguishers

These are used on class A fires of solid combustible materials, such as wood, fabric and paper. The water penetrates burning materials to cool down the fire, which extinguishes the fire and stops it re-igniting. Near electrical equipment you should choose water fire extinguishers with additives, as these prevent electrocution. A new development are the ‘dry’ water mist extinguishers, which can be used on class A, B, C and F fires and are very easy to use. These can be installed in buildings, where extinguisher training of all residents/staff is not feasible, such as in HMOs etc. Dry water mist is suitable for A, B, C and F class fires.

Foam fire extinguishers

These are used on burning solids (Class A) and liquid fires (Class B), such as burning petrol. They are excellent in general office or home environments. The foam penetrates burning fabrics and solids and forms a cooling blanket of top of the fire. Foam extinguishers are widely used in office environments, as they offer a reasonably wide cover without the clean-up problem of a powder extinguisher. Foams can be used safely on electrical items, as long as they are 35kV tested and you keep a safety distance of 1m.

Wet chemical fire extinguishers

Wet chemical and ABF foam extinguishers are used on fat fires and deep fat fryer fires (Class F). The chemical of the wet chemical bonds with the burning fat and stops the supply of oxygen to the fat. It also cools down the fat. Wet Chemical extinguishers are used in professional kitchens, while ABF can be used in domestic kitchens.

LITH-EX Extinguishers

The first Fire Extinguisher to tackle Lithium ion battery fires such as mobile phones, tablets, laptops, toys, power tools and electric scooters. By simply dropping or crushing your mobile phone it can cause it to catch fire. Do you leave your phone on charge overnight? Overcharging and charging malfunctions can cause your mobile phone to catch fire! Lithium Battery Fires can quickly exceed temperatures of 800°C – three times hotter than an oven!

Depending on the layout of your building, Fire Signage may not be required if the equipment itself is highly visible.

All business premises need at least 2 or 3 Fire Safety Signs.

Working out which ones you need and where you should put them can be confusing.

1. ‘Fire Action Notice’ – what to do in case of fire

The Fire Action Notice’s purpose is to make sure that anyone working in or visiting your building knows what to do if they discover a fire or if they need to evacuate the building.

These are usually pre-printed signage with spaces to fill in information such as:

• The phone number to call the fire brigade
• The exit to use to leave the building
• Where the assembly point is
• Any additional instructions specific to the building

There are different types of fire action signage so you can pick the one that best suits your premises.

All commercial premises must display a Fire Action Notice.

Best practice guidelines recommend that you display a Fire Action Notice next to every Fire Alarm call-point, and at every final exit door, where they are most likely to be seen in the event of fire.

2. Fire Exit Routes, Doors, and Assembly Points

Fire Exit Signage

If your commercial premises are small with a simple layout, you may not need a fire exit sign. Fire exit signage are not a requirement if it is ‘obvious’ where the exit is, for example when there is just one door at the front of a small shop where it is clear that would be the means of escape.

For more complex buildings however, fire exit signage are a necessity. What you specifically need comes down to how easily occupants would be able to find their way out of the building in the event of fire, especially if they’re not familiar with the layout.

In some cases you may need a series of directional signage leading occupants along the shortest route to escape. These are familiar to us as green exit signs with arrows indicating which way to go.

Fire Exit Doors – Fire Signage 

All fire exit doors must carry a ‘Fire door, keep shut’ sign.

This is an example of a ‘mandatory’ notice, which simply means that it gives an instruction which must be followed for the building to be safe from fire.

Depending on the type of exits you have, you may also need to provide instructions on how to operate the door, or indicate that a door opens automatically.

Fire Assembly Points – Fire Signage

Your fire assembly point should be far enough away from the building to avoid interference with the fire brigade and danger from falling debris caused by the fire. This means it needs to be clearly signposted.

You may also need to take into consideration the type of occupants who will need to evacuate the building in the event of fire, making sure that the Fire Assembly Point is suitable for the young, old or disabled.

3. Fire equipment signage

In the event of a fire, it’s vital that occupants know where to find fire-fighting equipment, and which equipment they can use, depending on the type of fire.

This is so the fire can be dealt with while it is still in its early stages. 95% of fires tackled with an extinguisher are extinguished within 2 minutes, so being able to locate the right type of fire extinguisher quickly is absolutely critical to the safety of your business.

Fire extinguisher ID signs come in many formats so you can pick the one best suited to the location of your extinguishers. They can be fixed to a wall, or attached to an extinguishers stand.

You may also need to provide fire safety signs for equipment such as hose reels and dry risers if you have them on your premises.

Perhaps most importantly of all, your fire alarm call-points must be clearly sign-posted so that occupants can easily find where to raise the alarm if they spot a fire. Every call-point should have the relevant fire alarm sign, and if you also post Fire Action Notices here, the person raising the alarm will have all the information they need to proceed.

4. ‘Warning’ and ‘Prohibition’ fire safety signage

Warning signs Warning signs are generally yellow and black, and often (but not always) triangular. They are designed to alert occupants to danger.

In terms of fire safety, you will generally need a fire warning sign when you have flammable substances on the premises, such as gas or oil.

Prohibition signs

Prohibition signs give ‘Do Not…’ style warnings in areas where there is a specific risk of fire.These are frequently used in conjunction with Warning signs, for example to prohibit smoking in an area where there are flammable materials.

Warning signs are usually circular, with a red band around the outside and a diagonal red line across the centre.

Often warning signage and prohibition signage are combined into one fire safety notice.

Summary

In summary, if you are responsible for the fire safety of commercial premises, these are the signs that you must have and may need to have.

• Fire Action Notice – mandatory for all premises
• Fire exit signs – needed for all but the smallest & simplest of properties
• Fire Extinguisher ID signage – as extinguishers are mandatory, all premises must have at least one extinguisher
• ID sign Fire alarm call point signage – if you have a fire alarm, then call point signs are mandatory
• Other fire equipment signage – if you have a hose reel or a dry riser, you will need to signpost them
• Warning & Prohibition signage – if you have an extra risk of fire on your premises you will probably need

Below is a more detailed description of the materials this particular safety sign is available in. Helping you decide which sign option is most suitable for your application.

1. Rigid Plastic: Lightweight, gloss white PVC with high impact strength. Suitable for both internal and external safety signs. Easily drilled for wall fixing.

2. Self-Adhesive Vinyl: A high gloss, flexible PVC vinyl with self-adhesive backing. Suitable for applying to most smooth, dry and clean surfaces. Ideally suited for internal signs.

3. Photoluminescent Rigid Plastic: 1.2mm Rigid PVC with photoluminescent (glow in the dark) pigmentation. Afterglow properties exceed PSPA Class C grade, as measured to DIN 6751, provides razor sharp definition in blackout conditions.

4. Photoluminescent Self Adhesive: Flexible PVC with photoluminescent (glow in the dark) pigmentation. Afterglow properties exceed PSPA Class C grade, as measured to DIN 6751, provides razor sharp definition in blackout conditions.

5. Face Adhesive Window Sticker Window labels have adhesive on the front, allowing them to be applied to the inside of the window and viewed from outside.

6. Aluminum: 9mm aluminum with a gloss white powder coated face. Suitable for both internal and external applications. Excellent weathering and UV resistance provides a long-life product.

7. Polycarbonate: 2mm transparent and flame retardant polycarbonate, provides extreme resistance to impact. Sub-surface printing reduces the risk of damage or vandalism to the sign face.

8. Rigid Plastic with Self Adhesive Back: Rigid PVC provides a durable finish, whilst a high tack self-adhesive backing removes the need for drilling, screwing or additional adhesive fixings. Also referred to as Quick-Fix signs.

Boat Fire Extinguishers – Med Approved

Caravan Extinguishers

Truck Fire Extinguishers

Office Extinguishers

Wheeled Extinguishers

Kitchen Extinguishers

Car Fire Extinguishers

Domestic Fire Extinguishers

Stainless Steel Fire Extinguishers

Electrically Safe Extinguishers

LITH-EX Extinguishers (Lithium ion Battery Fires)

Fire Extinguisher ID Signs

Fire Blankets

Fire extinguishers must conform to BS EN3 Standard, which specifies that their body is coloured red. A small coloured band indicates the type of fire extinguisher – red for water, white and red for water mist, cream for foam, blue for dry powder, yellow for wet chemical, green for clean agent and black for CO2 extinguishers.