THINGS TO KNOW

Portable fire extinguishers are used to put out small fires.  Small fires are defined as desk waste waste paper basket size fires.  The fire extinguishers most commonly used on college campuses are ABC rated.  An ABC fire extinguisher is a multipurpose dry powder extinguisher.  This type of extinguisher is capable of putting out more than one class of fire.  ABC dry powder residue is mildly corrosive to many metals.  The extinguisher is red in color and can have a long narrow hose or no hose at all.  The extinguisher is normally is light weight and weighs approximately 5- 25 lbs.  

FIRE CLASSIFICATIONS 

Class A:

• Is fueled by ordinary combustible or fibrous materials such as wood, paper, cloth and some plastics.
• Extinguishers carry a numerical rating that indicates how large a fire an experienced person can safely put out with that extinguisher.

 Class B

• Includes flammable or combustible liquids such as gasoline, kerosene, paint thinners and propane.  Also included in this category are greases and gases.

 Class C

• Includes energized electrical equipment such as appliances, switches, panel boxes and power tools. Also included in this category are motors and heaters that are not connected to a power source.
• Class C Extinguishers have only a letter rating to indicate that the extinguishing agent will not conduct electrical current. Class C extinguishers must also carry a Class A or B rating.

Class D

• Are fueled by metals such as magnesium and other metals.
• Class D extinguishers carry only a letter rating indicating their effectiveness on certain amounts of specific metals.

Class K

• includes cooking oil, fat and grease fires.  Tthis is a newer clasification of fires.  The Class "K" extinguisher is designed for fire suppression systems in kitchens. 
• Class K extinguishers can be found in kitchens.  It is in a silver cylinder with a letter "K" designating the classification. 

USING A FIRE EXTINGUISHER

Always make sure you know the location of a fire extinguisher.

Remember the acronym P.A.S.S--- 

• P--Pull the pin.  Hold the extinguisher with the nozzle pointing away from you, and release the locking mechanism. 
• A--Aim low.  Point the extinguisher nozzle at the base of the fire.
• S--Squeeze the lever while holding the extinguisher upright. 
• S--Sweep the extinguisher nozzle from side to side, covering the area of the fire with the extinguishing agent. 

INSPECTING EXTINGUISHERS

• Check the plastic seal holding the pin in the extinguisher handle.  If the seal is broken or the pin is missing then the extinguisher needs to be replaced. 
• Check the gauge on the extinguisher.  If the needle is not in the green area then the extinguisher needs to be replaced. 
• Check the end of the nozzle.  Make sure there is nothing obstructing the nozzle.  If the end of the nozzle is obstructed then the extinguisher will not discharge properly. 
• Make sure the extinguisher is not damaged in anyway and is in its proper location.

When not to fight a fire

Never fight a fire: 

• If the fire is spreading beyond the spot where it started. 
• If you can't fight the fire with your back to an escape exit. 
• If the fire can block your only escape. 
• If you don't have adequate fire-fighting equipment for example, no fire extinguisher.
• If unsure of what to do exit the building and activate the fire alarm by pulling a handle on a pull station

HOW TO EXTINGUISH SMALL FIRES

Class A - Extinguish ordinary combustibles by cooling the material below its ignition temperature and soaking the fibers to prevent re-ignition. Use pressurized water, foam or multi-purpose (ABC-rated) dry chemical extinguishers. DO NOT USE carbon dioxide or ordinary (BC-rated) dry chemical extinguishers on Class A fires.

Class B - Extinguish flammable liquids, greases or gases by removing the oxygen, preventing the vapors from reaching the ignition source or inhibiting the chemical chain reaction. Foam, carbon dioxide, ordinary (BC-rated) dry chemical, multi-purpose dry chemical, and halon extinguishers may be used to fight Class B fires.

Class C - Extinguish energized electrical equipment by using an extinguishing agent that is not capable of conducting electrical currents. Carbon dioxide, ordinary (BC-rated) dry chemical, multi-purpose dry chemical and halon* fire extinguishers may be used to fight Class C fires. DO NOT USE water extinguishers on energized electrical equipment.

* Even though halon is widely used, EPA legislation is phasing it out of use in favor of agents less harmful to the environment.

Class D - Extinguish combustible metals such as magnesium, titanium, potassium and sodium with dry powder extinguishing agents specially designated for the material involved. In most cases, they absorb the heat from the material, cooling it below its ignition temperature.

Class K -  These  extinguishers contain a potassium acetate based, low PH agent that was originally developed for use in pre-engineered cooking equipment fire extinguishing systems.  The agent discharges as a fine mist which helps prevent grease splash and fire reflash while cooling the appliance

NOTE: Multipurpose (ABC-rated) chemical extinguishers leave a residue that can harm sensitive equipment, such as computers and other electronic equipment. Because of this, carbon dioxide or halon extinguishers are preferred in these instances because they leave very little residue. ABC dry powder residue is mildly corrosive to many metals. For example, residue left over from the use of an ABC dry powder extinguisher in the same room with a piano can seriously corrode piano wires. Carbon dioxide or halon extinguishers are provided for most labs and computer areas on campus.

Millikin Security inspects and services all Millikin University fire extinguishers on a year-round basis, but we would still encourage you to be aware of the condition of your area's extinguishers by visual inspection on a frequent basis to ensure you have a working extinguisher there when you need one.

Report any missing, empty or damaged fire extinguishers to the Fire Safety Unit whenever you notice any discrepancies.