Does Your Business Have Too Many Fire Extinguishers?
Let’s help save your bottom line
Many businesses are looking to cut costs these days, and you are probably among them. One effective way to save money is by reducing the number of fire extinguishers on your premises.
You may have been advised by your current or previous fire safety company that you need additional extinguishers in certain locations or that you do not have enough on site.
Here’s some insider advice: having worked for many fire safety companies, I’ve noticed that engineers or salespeople often work on commission or bonuses for selling these devices. Initially, you might think that adding an extinguisher here or there is insignificant, but those costs can quickly accumulate. Additionally, the ongoing servicing costs for these extinguishers can be quite profitable for fire safety companies.
How Do I Know If I Have Too Many?
The revised BS5306 positioning of portable fire extinguishers 2012 (no more jargon, I promise) states that:
- Extinguishers must be placed near fire exits.
- In areas of high risk, extinguishers should be positioned to avoid confusion about which type to use.
- The walking distance between each extinguisher should not exceed 30 metres.
- If there is more than one floor, the above applies, except for fire exits, where an extinguisher should be positioned at the corridor meeting an enclosed staircase.
Insider Information!
There is a simple formula you can use for larger buildings, such as warehouses or any other type of structure. Here’s how it works:
For example, if your building measures 80m x 40m = 3200 square metres.
Assuming you have extinguishers that are 13A rated (this information is found on the extinguisher) – both 9-litre water extinguishers and 6-litre foam extinguishers are 13A rated.
The formula is 3200 x 0.065 (0.065 is the same for all calculations) = 208.
208 is the fire rating for the entire building.
Now, divide 208 by 13A to find the number of extinguishers required:
208 / 13 = 16 (you will need 16 x 13A rated extinguishers).
So, for a 3200 square metre building, 16 x 13A extinguishers are required.
Additional Information
Under the changes to BS5306, it is essential to have spare extinguishers on site – ideally, one of each type.
I hope this information has been helpful and has saved your business some money.