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Fire Extinguishers |
There are four basic types or classes of fire extinguishers, each one extinguishes specific types of fire. Newer fire extinguishers use a picture/labeling system to designate which types (class) of fires they are designed for. Older fire extinguishers are labeled with colored geometrical shapes with letter designations. Both of these types of labels are shown below with the description of the different classes of extinguishers. |
| Additionally, Class A and Class B fire extinguishers have a numerical rating which is based on tests conducted by Underwriter’s Laboratories that are designed to determine the extinguishing potential for each size and type of extinguisher. |
Fire
Extinguisher Ratings
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New Label System |
Extinguisher Description |
Old Label System |
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Class A Extinguishers For fires of ordinary combustibles, such as wood and paper. The numerical rating for this class of fire extinguisher refers to the amount of water the fire extinguisher holds and the amount of fire it will extinguish. |
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Class B Extinguishers For fires involving flammable liquids, such as grease, gasoline, oil, etc. The numerical rating for this class of fire extinguisher states the approximate number of square feet of a flammable liquid fire that a non-expert person can expect to extinguish. |
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Class C Extinguishers For use on electrically energized fires. This class of fire extinguishers does not have a numerical rating. The presence of the letter “C” indicates that the extinguishing agent is non-conductive. |
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| Class D Extinguishers For use on flammable metals, often these are specific for the type of metal. There is no picture designator for Class D extinguishers. These extinguishers generally have no rating nor are they given a multi-purpose rating for use on other types of fires. |
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Many extinguishers available today can be used on different types of fires and will be labeled with more than one designator, e.g. A-B, B-C, or A-B-C. Make sure that if you have a multi-purpose extinguisher it is properly labeled. |
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This is the old style of labeling indicating suitability for use on Class A, B, and C fires. |
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This is the new style of labeling used on fire extinguishers. Notice the diagonal red line drawn through the picture to indicate what type of fire this extinguisher is NOT suitable for. In this example, the fire extinguisher could be used on Ordinary Combustibles and Flammable Liquids fires, but not for Electrical fires. |
| When using a fire
extinguisher remember the acronym PASS: Pull, Aim, Squeeze, and Sweep
Pull the pin at the top of the
extinguisher, it keeps the handle from being accidentally pressed. And Remember If you choose to attempt to extinguish ANY fire, call 911 FIRST! |