Extinguishing agents, types of extinguishers and their use

There are different types of fire extinguishers and extinguishing agents. They are adapted to the specifics of particular types of fires. What are the different types of fire extinguishers ? What are extinguishing agents and what are their uses? Here is a collection of the most important information.

What are the types of fire extinguishers and markings

Which extinguisher for what ? The answers to this question can be found e.g. in Polish Standards and current fire regulations (§ 32 of the Regulation of the Minister of Interior and Administration of June 7, 2010 on fire protection of buildings). In the content of the Regulation, there is a division of fire extinguishers by type of flammable substance - it includes the following groups of fire extinguishers : A, B, C, D, F.

Below we explain what the above letters mean and what types of fire extinguishers we have :

Type A fire extinguisher - what is it for?

Fire extinguisher A is used to extinguish fires of solid, organic materials. In other words, these are fires in which substances are partly or completely charred. Fire extinguisher A is used to extinguish paper, wood, straw or fabrics of natural origin (linen, cotton, etc.).

Type B fire extinguisher - purpose

Looking through the different types of fire extinguishers and their purpose , we will also find type B models. What is it? The type B fire extinguisher can extinguish liquids and fusible materials, including: thermoplastic plastics, solvents, high-proof alcohols.

What's in fire extinguisher B? Its main component is foaming surfactants that quickly and thoroughly cover burning surfaces. (An example of a B flammable liquid extinguisher that can also be used to extinguish type A fires is the Roteor M Premium. It is a synthetic extinguishing agent that produces light, medium and heavy foams even at low temperatures down to -12°C).

What is a C fire extinguisher and what is it used for?

How to extinguish a gas fire ? With this need in mind, fire engineers created the Type C fire extinguishers . What are they for? C models are designed to extinguish combustible gases, for example: propane, natural gas or hydrogen. Most often they are equipped with industrial facilities, workshops and premises with gas installations.

ABC fire extinguishers - for which fires?

During fires, various materials from groups A, B and C burn very often. How to extinguish them? Do you need to have as many as 3 types of fire extinguishers in buildings? Of course not. The simplest solution is ABC multi-purpose fire extinguishers. What is the ABC fire extinguisher used for ? The powder contained in it will extinguish both organic substances and fusible liquid, plastics or gas.

Fire extinguishers D - application

As you can see, the types of fire extinguishers and their purpose are different, and until recently, the classification of fire extinguishers was closed with models marked with the letter D. It is worth knowing that D fire extinguishers are used to extinguish fires of hot metals, such as sodium or aluminum.

Fire extinguisher F: what is it for?

In recent years, specialists in the occupational health and safety and fire protection industry have modified the basic types of fire extinguishers and introduced a new model - type F, foam or liquid extinguishers . They were created for difficult to extinguish, heated fats and oils, used e.g. in gastronomy.

Markings and colors of fire extinguishers

Everyone knows what a fire extinguisher looks like - its color can be seen from a distance. Fire regulations make it clear that the fire extinguisher body must be painted red. It cannot be any shade of red, but RAL 3000, fiery red. Foreign producers also use additional color markings:

• green on type A fire extinguishers,
• red stripe on fire extinguishers B,
• blue on fire extinguisher C,
• yellow stripe on fire extinguisher D,
• black color on type F extinguisher.

The label is another element that cannot be missing on a fire extinguisher. The description , visible on the body, must include:

• designation of the extinguishing agent,
• manual user instructions,
• expiry date and details of the entity responsible for the technical condition of the fire extinguisher,
• warnings regarding the action of the extinguishing agent ( types of fires and methods of extinguishing them , the effect of the extinguishing agent on the body).

What is basic firefighting equipment?

The term: fire-fighting equipment should be understood as hand-held fire-fighting equipment . What is this? These are all devices and devices intended for extinguishing fires in their initial phase. The basic types of handheld firefighting equipment are: fire extinguishers filled with an extinguishing agent and fire blankets, i.e. sheets made of a special, non-flammable fabric.

What are extinguishing agents? Types and application

Extinguishing fires is possible thanks to various types of extinguishing agents . These are substances in liquid, powder or gas form. We distinguish the following types (categories) of fire extinguishers due to the extinguishing agent :

• water extinguishers (water is the main extinguishing agent used in firefighting, it is used to extinguish type A fires),
• foam extinguishers (also included in the category of water extinguishers, they extinguish AB, BC and ABF fires),
• powder extinguishers (for ABC and D fires),
• snow extinguishers (this type of fire extinguishers is adapted to extinguish BC fires).

Extinguishing foam: types and applications

When we talk about extinguishing fires and extinguishing agents , it is worth mentioning one of the most revolutionary inventions, which is fire extinguishing foam (chemical foam, mechanical foam ). It is a mixture of water, foaming agents and gases.

What are the types of fire extinguishing foam ? These are:

• light foam (used in closed rooms),
• medium foam (has a smaller range than heavy foams),
• heavy foam (most often used, has a long range).

In what situations is it possible to extinguish fires with foam ? This extinguishing agent is suitable for type A, B and F fires . Fire extinguishing foam cannot be used to extinguish gases, metals or live electrical equipment.

What else should we know about extinguishing agents and the use of fire extinguishers in everyday life and at work? We publish a lot of interesting information in subsequent entries on our blog. We invite you to read.

Sources:

Fire extinguisher, entry in: Encyklopedia PWN.

Guidebook: Firefighting and extinguishing agents, available at: gov.pl.