Whether you’ve just purchased fire extinguishers for your office or to sit outside on a construction site, there are plenty of options available for where you should keep them.
Installing fire extinguishers correctly ensures that they’re always in good working order and are easy to find in an emergency. While there are certain installation requirements, the location can be tailored to suit the needs of your environment and activities.
Installing Fire Extinguishers Inside
The most common position to install a fire extinguisher is on the wall, generally, so the handle is at a 1-metre height. This ensures the canister is off the ground to prevent damage, is easily visible and is convenient to grab in an emergency. You’ll often find these along emergency exit routes, near specific risks, or with other fire-safety equipment such as fire alarm call points.
However, it isn’t always possible to install fire extinguishers on the wall, for example where the wall isn’t strong enough to take the weight or if there isn’t a wall available. In these cases, fire extinguisher stands are the best solution. With different designs and colours available to suit the aesthetics of your surroundings, these often still meet the same requirements mentioned above.
Installing Fire Extinguishers Outside
There are different considerations to take on board when you need to have fire extinguishers out in the open. One of them is often the lack of walls. This is often an issue which is encountered by construction sites, events and outdoor businesses.
For example, with events, you’ll want to ensure that the fire extinguishers are protected from the elements but also remain highly visible. One solution is to have fire extinguisher boxes or cabinets. These can either stand by themselves or be wall-mounted.
You can partner these with other safety equipment such as a rotary fire bell or your first aid kit. While the door keeps the rain and dust away from the equipment stored inside, cabinets remain easy and quick to open in an emergency, although you do have the option to also add locks in order to limit their use to authorised personnel only.
Construction sites, as well as outside facilities such as forecourts, will often require a solution which is more mobile and able to withstand tough environments. Fire extinguisher trolleys are the best option and also allow multiple fire extinguishers to be kept in one place with other equipment such as fire buckets and site alarms to create a fire point—often a requirement.
Made of durable materials to guarantee they’re weatherproof and stable, with large wheels which make it easy to move the fire extinguishers around the site as it develops, they are also easily removed once the job is done.
Whichever option you do choose, inside or out, make sure your fire equipment is always easily accessible and well-marked. It’s essential that in the event of a fire, everyone can quickly find a fire extinguisher and use it, helping to reduce property damage and risk to life.
Check out our entire range of fire extinguisher stands, fire extinguisher cabinets, and fire extinguisher trolleys.
