Since I started writing for this blog, I am definitely more aware of fire safety, and the various pieces of equipment that I write about. I notice extinguishers in restaurants, public buildings, petrol stations, even on lorries and trucks.

Now it never really occurred to me that one would need a fire extinguisher on a lorry. But, having thought about it, it really does make sense. Vehicles contain a lovely mix of flammable liquids and potentially flame-inducing electrics etc. In fact, the internal combustion engine is all about making small fires in order to make the vehicle move. So, it’s a pretty heady combination, and as such can lead to fires.

Now, most fires start off pretty small and get bigger. So, carrying a fire extinguisher can mean the difference between a small amount of fire damage and a completely written off, burnt-out shell of a vehicle. And anyone who has ever had to go without their much-needed vehicle for a few days will tell what a huge inconvenience it is, let alone a rather expensive issue too.

So, carrying an extinguisher sounds like a good plan. But where to put it? If you leave it rolling about in your car, truck or lorry it will get battered about and dented, and possibly wedged underneath a seat, making it very difficult to retrieve. Fire extinguishers, being rounded, are rather good at rolling away if not secured, so a fire extinguisher bracket is a very useful device. This will allow you to fix your extinguisher to your vehicle, making sure it remains bump-free, and is always where you left it too. No more scrabbling around under piles of junk to find it.

The important thing to remember is that you should really only go about attempting to tackle fires if they are small. Your safety is paramount, and there are times when things are best left to the professionals. However, if you are happy with the situation and can ensure your safety, then using your trusty extinguisher could save a lot of expense, as well as someone’s life.

Check out this fabulous piccie. This is a very old fire extinguisher. As you can see, time has taken its toll on the poor thing, and I’m fairly sure it would pass any of the British kitemarking standards, but it is pretty cool.

My husband, my father and my mother all work at a miniature steam railway. My husband and father both drive steam trains, and my mum works in the railway shop, selling all kinds of bits and bobs from ice creams to hugely expensive scale model railway layouts and locomotives.

At the weekend, the railway celebrated its 25^th Anniversary. Yes, it officially opened for business way back in 1986, and is still going strong. So, there was a big celebratory event on Saturday and Sunday, and they had nearly all of the engines out running around the track. And, when you have lots of engines running, you need someone to make sure that they don’t crash into each other. This is where the trusty signalman comes in. And in the signalbox was where I found the rusty old fire extinguisher (see, I did get back round to that bit in the end!)

The railway is a veritable cornucopia of old things and stuff. There are original signs from railways, lamps from steam trains, old full-size signals, and levers from original main line signal boxes. And also, apparently some authentic, original fire extinguishing equipment! Now, I’m sure it wouldn’t be an awful lot of good in an actual fire, and so there is also a modern-day equivalent standing nearby, but it is pretty cool to see the old equipment too. I wonder if in 50 years time someone will be commenting on one of the FPO extinguishers and saying what a beautiful example of a bygone age it is?!!

So, last month I was telling you all about fire extinguishers that you can use in your car. Or your van. Or Lorry. Or boat. Or even in your multi-million pound luxury yacht. Now this is all well and good, but fire extinguishers are heavy things. And if you lay them on their sides, they are rounded. When rounded things are laid down in vehicles that move about, chances are that they will move around too. And if you have spent your hard earned cash on buying a fire extinguisher, you want to protect it and make sure it doesn’t end up covered in dents and dings, caused by sculling around on the floor of your van. Or your lorry. Or your boat. Or your multi-million pound luxury yacht.

So, I have highlighted a problem, and once again I shall give you a solution to it. May I present the fire extinguisher bracket. This simple little device will prevent your fire extinguisher from rock and rolling all over the place, keeping it safe, secure and dent-free.

A standard bracket will fix securely to your vehicle, and will keep a firm hold on any 3, 4, 6, 9 or 12kg/litre extinguisher. The standard bracket is suitable for use on powder, water and foam extinguishers. When and if you need to use the extinguisher, you simply release the securing buckle and use the extinguisher. Easy peasey.

Now if you are a farmer, and spend your days roaming around in a tractor, then a heavy duty bracket might be better suited to your needs. This has two loops of strong webbing which will hold on to your extinguisher nice and tightly, and cope with all the extra bumps and blows that you may encounter.

You may have noticed that CO₂ extinguishers were not included in the section above. This is because you can get a special CO₂ transport bracket, which is perfectly suited to securing this type of extinguisher.

So, there you are. A simple solution to a problem. For more details on any of these products, as always the FPO website has a gigantic wealth of information for you.

Exam season is fast approaching, and for any of you who have contact with GCSE, AS and A-Level students, you will know that they are firmly in the throes of revision. So, to show some solidarity, here’s a little bit of revision for you.

A foam fire extinguisher is capable of controlling flammable solid fires – those fuelled by ordinary inflammable substances such as wood, paper, cloth, hay etc. – as well as being able to put out a flammable liquid fire – fires fuelled by flammable oils, petrol, diesel, spirits etc. (To use the fire classification system, this type of extinguisher is capable of tackling class A and B fires). This type of fire extinguisher is colour coded with a Cream band on 5% of its body to let any user know at a glance which type it is.

A foam fire extinguisher is non-toxic, not damaging to most materials, extinguishes fires progressively (not suddenly and violently), and prevents the re – ignition of flammable liquid fires. The foam works by forming a blanket on the surface of a burning liquid or solid, this cools and smothers the fire so that there is no oxygen or heat available to re – ignite the fire.

Foam fire extinguishers come in a range of sizes and is suitable for the home, car and caravan as well as for business use. Fire fighters also occasionally use foam in certain types of fire due to its ability to tackle flammable liquids and for its cooling and smothering qualities which prevent re – ignition.

A conventional foam fire extinguisher contains aqueous film forming foam so is also known as an AFFF foam fire extinguisher. You may also come across the same type being called a spray foam fire extinguisher due to the type of discharge it has.

A foam fire extinguisher shouldn’t be used on electrical fires. However, most foam extinguishers have passed the 35kv conductivity test, indicating the extinguisher user has added operator safety if it were to be unintentionally used on electrical risks. The extinguisher user may still on the other hand obtain an electric shock if positioned in a residual puddle if the live electrical equipment did not short circuit, which is why foam fire extinguishers are not deemed as suitable for electrical fires.

Foam fire extinguishers are ideal for use in offices, garages, boats, caravans, kitchens and other multi risk premises.  This type of fire extinguisher is highly effective against flammable solid and flammable liquid fires. This includes wood, paper, and textile fires as well as petrol, oil, diesel and other volatile liquid fires.  Foam fire extinguishers combine the cooling effect of water with the smothering benefits of AFFF which prevent a fire re-igniting by sealing the flammable vapours. Its spray nozzle gives a wide coverage to boost its fire fighting abilities.

So, hopefully this has refreshed your memory, and you will be all ready and prepared if anyone springs a fire extinguisher exam upon you at the last minute!

Now, you may remember than back in the dim and distant past of November, I was lucky enough to interview Sarah Beeny. She bought some products from Fire Protection Online when she was restoring a 96 room house (no that wasn’t a typo, I did mean 96!). This restoration project also formed the basis of a new television series called ‘Beeny’s Restoration Nightmare’.

Now, Sarah purchased some fire extinguishers from us, and not just any sort either. You see the days of the standard red fire extinguisher are behind us. No, fire extinguishers come in all manner of fabulous finishes – and my favourite is the chrome fire extinguisher.

Now, if we’re being completely accurate, they are not actually chrome fire extinguishers at all. They are , in fact, manufactured from high grade stainless steel. However, the Fire Protection Online range are polished up to within an inch of their lives using specialist equipment, and this gives them a super-shiny finish which means that they look like chrome.

Now, these little lovelies are designed to look good. And I think they achieve their purpose rather well. Designed to be more aesthetically pleasing than a standard red fire extinguisher, these chrome finished ones still work in exactly the same way. They come in different varieties – water, CO₂ and foam as you would expect from the standard-coloured range, and all have the CE Mark.

Talking of kitemarks and such things, let’s be a bit more specific. British Standard BS EN3-7:2004, Part 16.1 requires 95% of the body of the fire extinguisher to be red. Obviously, this is not the case with this particular range, so does this mean that you shouldn’t use them? Well, the short answer is ‘no’.

The stainless steel fire extinguisher has been manufactured for many years and we sell more today than before the BS EN3 came into being! By law, extinguishers must have the CE Mark (Pressure Equipment Directive). BS EN3 is, technically, a recommendation and, as our extinguishers are made with exactly the same components as the red ones that pass all the BSEN3 Kitemark tests, they are generally accepted.

So this is good news for those who you who are wishing for style and substance. You can have an attractive-looking extinguisher, and still be assured that in the case of a fire, you will be able to fight it if needed.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Now wheeled extinguishers are designed to be moved and operated by one person. If they were not on wheels, this would be impossible, as moving that much weight around by yourself is simply not practical – unless you’re a contender for weight lifter of the year.

There are three varieties that I’m going to tell you about today – foam, carbon dioxide and powder. So, the first one is foam. These are designed for use on Class A and B fires, and there are two styles – either stored pressure or with an external pressure charge. The stored pressure versions come ready filled – so they are delivered to you ready for action. The other variety comes with a foam agent, and just needs filling with water, which is a very simple task.

Carbon dioxide extinguishers are good for companies that deal with a lot of electrical equipment. The benefit of a carbon dioxide extinguisher over a foam or powder version is that they cause a lot less mess. Therefore, the clean up after one is discharged is a lot easier.

And lastly, there is the powder extinguisher. These are supplied either as stored pressure or with an external pressure cartridge. They are suitable for use on Class A and B fires – and therefore are particularly suited to places that use flammable liquids – like paints, fuels or solvents.

So, that gives you an overview. And I’ve also included a video with this post, so you can get an idea of how well these beasties can work. The model shown isn’t exactly the same as the ones that FPO sell, but you get the idea. If a picture paints a thousand words, then hopefully this video will explain things a lot better than I can – and apologies for the slightly dodgy music!!

Two hundred years ago, everything in a rich man’s house would have had a lock on it, to prevent petty theft. And I mean everything. Not just doors to rooms, but chests of drawers, tea caddies, clocks, everything. People were very security-conscious.

Nowadays, we are not as careful with the little things, as the stationary cupboard at work will testify! Little things are seen in many ways as expendable, and we do not keep everything locked down in quite the same way.

However, a fire extinguisher, although not a particularly large item, can be a valuable one – and not just in monetary terms. An STI stopper is a natty little device which prevents your fire safety equipment from going walkabouts.

Now, we all should know by now that if you buy your fire extinguishers from Fire Protection Online, that they will not cost you the earth, because we’re good like that and like to look after our customers. But, it is still an expense, and having to replace items due to theft can be an expensive annoyance – just to add insult to injury.

Another good reason to make sure that your extinguishers are where you think they are is a safety reason. If there is a fire and your fire fighting equipment has gone missing, you could well pay for this theft with your life, and the lives of those who you work with. So, therefore it is important to make sure that your fire extinguishers stay put, and are there, ready for action, when you need them.

The extinguisher stopper alarms (STI stoppers) are bright red boxes with fix just above your fire extinguisher stand, or bracket. They are obvious enough that people will see them before attempting to remove the extinguisher, but not so intrusive as to be downright ugly.

To use one, you fix the alarm to the wall and secure the attached cable to the neck of the fire extinguisher. If someone then tries to move the extinguisher, it pulls on the cable which pulls on the alarm and you are then faced with the full force of a 95dB siren!

So, if it is a real emergency, you can use the extinguisher and simply reset the alarm later on. But, if someone is trying to make off with your equipment, you will hopefully notice the wailing of a loud siren!

There are mini stopper alarms too – these are just as loud as the regular variety, but they are just smaller. The small versions are also good for securing cabinets, as it comes with a magnetic reed switch too – I do like a bit of multi-functionality!

So, if you’re looking to keep your fire extinguishers in their rightful place, then this is the product for you.

Do you use vehicles at your workplace? For a lot of people and employers, the answer to this question may well be ‘Yes’. So, if this is the case, had you thought about whether you should have fire extinguishers in your vehicles?

I have talked about car fire extinguishers before, and how it is a good idea to have one in your personal car in case of an emergency. Now if you are an employer, it might be part of your health and safety policy to talk about safety for employees using motor vehicles.

There are specific regulations in force for provision of fire extinguishers in trucks and lorries, so I won’t go into that. But what about cars and small trucks or vans? Well, a compact fire extinguisher might be the answer in these vehicles. If it is just a small car, then a 1kg powder extinguisher will be sufficient, but in larger cars, trucks and vans, a 2kg powder or foam extinguisher is advised.

There are a few ways to reduce the risk of a fire in a vehicle.The most important is vehicle maintenance. Make sure that the wiring is checked regularly, as well as the fuel lines – a qualified mechanic is the best person to do this for you. Also, if you are welding any part of the vehicle, don’t do it near the fuel tank or feed pipes!

Use your common sense – modern car interiors are mostly made of polymers and plastics – which tend to be highly flammable! So be careful about diposing of matches, cigarettes etc.

A friend of mine had a Mini that he was doing up, and had nearly finished when he saw a tiny crack in the floor that needed welding. So he quickly nipped in, did the bit of welding, and when he looked up, the dashboard had caught fire. Be warned!

If a fire does break out in your vehicle, the most important thing to do is to pull over, switch off the engine and get out! If you can release the bonnet catch safely, then do so, but do not open the bonnet fully. Make sure that everyone gets out of the vehicle, and stays as far away from it as possible – exploding fuel tanks are not good to be near. Call the fire brigade as soon as possible.

If it is safe to do so, then use your foam or powder extinguisher to try and tackle the blaze. If the fire is in the engine compartment, then aim the extinguisher in through the radiator grille or under the edge of the bonnet – don’t open up the bonnet completely.

As always, if you’re unsure about it being safe, then leave it to the professionals.

Today’s subject – the automatic fire extinguisher. What is it, why do you need one, and how does it work? Well, fear not. As ever, I am here to entertain and inform. I have my topic and I am raring to go!

So, first of all what is it? Well, in the classic Ronseal style, it does exactly what it says on the tin (or in this case, extinguisher). It is fire extinguisher that works automatically. Fireblitz is the company that makes FPO’s automatic fire extinguishers, and the most common ones are 1kg or 2kg dry powder extinguishers.

So why do you need one? Is this just the epitome of laziness? “I can see the fire, but I can’t be bothered to go and tackle it, so I will allow my automatic fire extinguisher to do the job for me.” Well, no. Not really. Basically, you cannot be watching for fires every minute of every day. There will always be times when premises and equipment are left unattended.

Often, companies have some very expensive equipment knocking about – like agricultural machinery, construction equipment, engines, computer equipment and suchlike. If this equipment were to catch fire, it could be disastrous, and often it is the kind of equipment that is stored away in secured areas, where there isn’t a lot of passing people traffic. So, by the time an operative (loving that word at the moment) was to discover the fire, it could well be far too late. An automatic fire extinguisher can detect the fire and be deployed to put it out – a bit like a sprinkler system, but far less pricey!

How does it work then? No hocus pocus involved in this one, just a wee bit of good old fashioned science. These extinguishers are pretty much the same as standard ones, but instead of having the squeezy handles, they have a heat-sensitive glass bulb. The bulb contains a liquid which expands when it gets hot – and as we all know, fires create a lot of heat. So, when the temperature gets up to a certain point, the liquid expands so much that it bursts the glass bulb, which triggers the extinguisher and sets it off. Simples.

The Fireblitz automatic fire extinguishers come in two varieties – the powder ones are super-useful as powder will fight any type of fire, so wherever you choose to put it, it will do the job. The other option is FE36 gas. This is a clean agent and will leave no mess at all, so is really good for computer and telecoms equipment, which can be very sensitive.

So, there you have it. Another informative blog from FPO. Hope you’re paying attention to all of these – there might be a test one day!

You think of fire extinguishers, and which company (other than Fire Protection Online, of course!) do you think of? Well, I reckon that most of you will say Chubb. Yes, Chubb fire extinguishers have become synonymous with fire safety, and I am here to tell you a wee bit more about them.

Chubb were originally a company that manufactured locks, and in the first century of the company’s existence, more than two and a half million locks were made. The development of security measures such as Chubb’s locks was brought about by an increase in crime rates during the 1800s, and Charles and Jeremiah Chubb invented their secure lock mechanism and patented it in 1818. By the 1840s Chubb had become a household name, and by the end of the century they had expanded to the United States as well, and incorporated all sorts of security systems into its repertoire.

It wasn’t until after World War II that Chubb expanded its range from security systems to include fire protection. Since that time, Chubb Fire has become the leading fire protection company in the UK, Ireland, Australia and other major markets globally. Chubb Fire’s product awards include the 1999 International Fire Expo Award for Innovation in the Fire Industry.

The Globe Theatre situated on London’s South Bank, has fire systems installed by Chubb. As the theatre’s roof is thatched, the fire protection systems have to be of extremely high quality. The system includes 147 smoke detectors, 75 heat sensors and 70 break-glass call points.

So, now you’re aware of the company’s credentials, let’s have a peek at the products themselves. We all know that tackling a small fire with an extinguisher can make the difference between a small incident and a massive disaster. Chubb’s portable fire extinguishers all have the BSI kitemark and the CE mark, which assures you that they meet the highest quality demands. They make all types of extinguisher – water, foam, powder, CO₂ – and they even make the shiny silver-coloured stainless steel extinguishers. The company will even come out and service your fire extinguishers for you – now that’s service!

So, if it is a quality fire extinguisher that you are after, then look no further. Chubb fire extinguishers are the market leaders, and the company’s 180 year history indicates that they know what they are talking about! Make sure you remember the name…