[Fire extinguishers for my pub]

I have just become the landlord of a pub which has no fire extinguiher installed at all. I have been told i need them but do not know where are how many should be installed.

Also do I need any specialist extinguishers behing the bar or in the cellar because of the alcohol risk?

Hi

First there is no need for special extinguishers behind the bar or in the cellar. What you usually find are carbon dioxide extinguishers in those areas to cover the electrical risks that exist.

Not knowing the size or layout of the pub, its difficult to say what you need, but a rough rule of thumb is that you need a 13A rated extinguisher (Foam is a good one for that) per 200 sqm of floor space and they should be placed practically around the premises covering the ground floor entrances and exits. Extinguishers under a Fire Risk Assessment can be placed out of the public areas to protect them from being tampered with and damage.

For the kitchen with deep fat fryers, I would recommend a Wet Chemical Extinguisher and also the standard Carbon Dioxide extinguisher for electrical and a large fire blanket.

One thing to remember is if there is a 1st floor, then this also has to be covered with a 13A rated extinguisher, Carbon Dioxide for electrical and a fire blanket in the kitchen area; as this is considered part of the business, even if it is used by just the owners of the pub, as their own private residence.

The place to start is with a Fire Risk Assessment and / or extinguisher site survey.

[Cars with LPG]

Hello, i`m looking for an extinguisher to keep in my classic car that runs on petrol and LPG, would this be suitable? I`d prefer Co2 to powder due to the lack of mess, but all car ones seem to be powder based. What would you recommend? Would foam be an alternative?

Many thanks in advance,

Andy

Hi Andy

CO2 extinguishers are great as they leave no mess behind, but I would not recommend them for a car. The way a CO2 works is it quickly removes the oxygen which feeds the fire, thus killing the fire. Unfortunately the high pressurisation of the CO2's mean that when used on things like chip fat, oil, liquid fuel (i.e. petrol) the blast of CO2 can actually spread the liquid and make the fire much worse. Powder extinguishers are the most versatile because they can be used on electrical fires within the car and are safe to use on liquid fuel fires.

Foam extinguishers are water based so they would not be suitable for any electrical fires (the most common cause of car fires are electrical or engine faults).

I would recommend going for a powder extinguisher

If your classic car catches fire, it's better to be safe and make sure you stop the fire than keeping it clean and maybe lose the whole thing!

[Extinguishers for hair salon]

I would recommend 2 fire extinguishers for a hair salon:

A CO2 extinguisher for electrical fires as it leaves no mess behind and does not damage any electrical goods etc. The only problem with a CO2 is that if used on flammable liquids (bleach, peroxide etc.) it can spread the liquid due to the high pressure output and make the fire a lot worse.

A powder extinguisher would be ideal for use on the flammable liquids and can also be used on electrical fires. Unfortunately the powder extinguisher leaves a lot of mess behind and any electrical products near where a powder extinguisher is discharged will most likely be ruined.

By having a CO2 placed near the electrical products and a powder placed near to the flammable liquid storage you would have the best of both worlds.

[Fire Risk Assessment in bargain centre]

We are opening a bargain shop in a Bradford shopping area. One large room upstairs and a cellar with little customer and staff toilet. Top room about 30ft by 25ft. Bottom 23ftx20ft. Cubicle 4x5ft.

There is some emergency lighting already. No smoke alarms or panel. The backdoor in the top room is locked all the time to prevent theft. Following some scary prosecutions (Poundstretcher etc) we want to carry out a fire risk assessment and get up to speed. Can anybody help with recommendations?

Hi

here the calculations and recommendations:

Top floor - 750 sqft / 71.02sqm

2 x 13A Rated Fire Extinguishers - near the entrance and rear exits (foam or water fire extinguishers)

1 x 2kg Carbon Dioxide - near till area to cover electrical risks

If the rear exit is classified a fire exit then it shouldn't be locked from the inside. There has to be the ability for it to be opened without a key. This could be a break glass leaver option or the door could be a simple twist lock or push pad / bar and alarmed.

Basement - 480 sqft / 45.45sqm

1 x 13A Rated Fire Extinguisher - At point of entry, usually bottom of stairs

1 x 2kg Carbon Dioxide Extinguisher - near the electrical risks

Extra Fire Extinguishers may be needed depending on the Risks in the Shop. This can only be determined as part of the Fire Risk Assessment.

The Emergency Lighting should be reviewed as part of the Fire Risk Assessment and may need to be amended depending on the current use.

The property being a shop, should have a fixed wired fire alarm with break glass call points, sounders and detectors. The panel should be sited near the point of entry to the premises and should be visible.

Hope this helps

Anthony