What Is Health and Safety?

There are dozens of fire extinguishers on the market but all of them work in the same way. Remember that fires often start without warning and it’s vital you know how to use a fire extinguisher once a fire starts. The aim is to tackle the fire immediately. Fire extinguishers are designed to stop a fire before it can grow.

The first step is to read the instructions printed on the extinguisher. You need to know how to use the device BEFORE a fire begins. It’s easy to understand the printed instructions but in an emergency time is so important you won’t have time to study them in detail.

You hold the extinguisher upright and stand 2 to 3 metres from the fire. If you want a shorthand method of operating a fire extinguisher, think PASS. This is an acronym for Pull, Aim, Squeeze and Sweep.

There’s a Pin at the top which you PULL. This makes the extinguisher ready for use. Next you AIM the hose at the base of the fire and not the flames. Next you SQUEEZE the trigger or lever but do so slowly. Once the foam appears you SWEEP it from side to side.

Always call the fire service if the fire starts to grow and evacuate everyone from the building.