How many fire extinguishers do I need and Fire Extinguisher Placement ? Below is a short guide that will give you the basis to answer these questions
The first thing you need to determine is what is the hazard level in your facility?
OSHA has a set of standards that dictate the quantity of fire extinguishers required based on the fire threat level posed to your facility. There are 5 classifications.
Light Hazard:
Place Fire Extinguishers no further than 75 feet apart. Typically this classification applies to buildings where fires are highly unlikely to occur, so this would be office buildings, classrooms, and hotels. Materials in these buildings are usually not a fire hazard and that is why they are at the lower end of the risk scale.
Ordinary Hazard 1:
Fire Extinguisher Placement – every 75 feet
These facilities have some flammable products on the site but the chances of a fire are fairly low as there is very limited if any source of ignition to start the fire.
Ordinary Hazard II:
Fire Extinguisher Placement – every 30-50 feet
These facilities are where there are both flammable materials and an ignition source located within their vicinity that could start a fire. Typically examples in this classification are parking garages, hardware and DIY stores, and theaters, music venues.
Extra Hazard:
Fire Extinguisher Placement – every 30-50 feet
These are facilities that are likely to deal with some sort of fire at some point, examples are manufacturing plants where plastics are made, assembly plants etc. . These facilities have flammable materials present in addition to combustible liquids and ignition sources all within the one location.
The last classification is that of Commercially Operated Kitchens:
Fire Extinguisher Placement – every 30 feet
As there are large quantities of cooking oils, open flames, high heat and a pressurized working environment, the risk of a fire in these facilities is greatly increased. Locations include, hotels, restaurants, university and school cafeterias are all in this classification.
Fire Extinguisher Placement?
The following is a guideline to Fire Extinguisher Placement.
Place extinguishers near any exits or exterior doors
- Place the correct extinguishers near the hazards they’re designed to protect against
- Make sure all of your extinguishers are clearly visible from multiple angles
- Hang each Fire Extinguisher on a wall or in a corner
- Ensure that the pathway to each Fire Extinguisher is not impeded.
- Never place a Fire Extinguisher where it is not clearly visible.
For more information please visit www.nfpa.org and www.osha.org
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