PRESENTATION NOTES
Fire Extinguisher Training
Slide 1:
Introduction: (Good Afternoon) My name is Hamzah Farooq. I am your HSE
Trainer for providing you training on Fire Extinguisher. I am an Chemical
Engineering graduate with multiple certifications, including Nebosh IGC
and OSHA. If you have any emergency, you can go out of the training hall.
In case of any emergency, on your back side is the emergency access. If
you need any first aid, we have a kit available here and I will be your
certified first aider.
Slide 2 This session will be approximately 20 mins long and we will have a
dedicated question answer session at the end of the training. I will try to
keep today’s session interactive. You can feel free to ask any questions,
just by raising your hand.
Slide 3 During this lesson we will be discussing about Fire Triangle, Fuel
Classification, Types of Fire Extinguishers, Usage of Fire Extinguisher and
rules for fighting fires.
Slide 4: Learners should be able to understand the topic well enough and
they should be able to explain what is fire triangle, how to extinguish fire
and what are the rules to fight fire.
Slide 5: Fire Triangle has three components, Oxygen, Heat and Fuel and on
the basis of these elements fire occur. If any of these three components is
not present then the fire will not occur. So all we have to do is to prevent
these components coming together.
Slide 6: As I said earlier, three things are responsible for the fire to occur.
In this oxygen contributes to combustion, heat helps to reach ignition
temperature and fuel is like a food for the fire. So when these three things
react they form fire as a result of a chemical reaction.
Slide 7: It is very important to select right type of fire extinguisher for the
type of fire. If you guys will use wrong fire extinguisher for the wrong type
of fire then it will not extinguish it. As a matter of fact, it will even make it
worse. So I will explain the types of fire in detail in the next slide.
Slide 8: Fire is divided into 4 main categories. For instance,
1. Class A consisting of Wood, Paper and cloth.
2. Class B contains flammable liquids such as, gasoline.
3. Class C fire is the electrical fire.
4. And Class D fire occur due to burning of metals. For example,
Magnesium, potassium and sodium.
Slide 9: So, for the identification purposes we have a label for each type of
fire extinguisher. In this way any one can recognize it by just looking at it.
As, you can see the label for the Water Type Fire extinguisher below.
Slide 10: In general, we have three types of extinguishers, named
1. Water Type.
2. Carbon dioxide (CO2)
3. Dry Chemical (ABC)
Slide 11: Let’s talk about the water type fire extinguisher. It is filled with
pressurized water like a large squirt gun. It is usually red in colour and
comes in a variety of sizes. Usually, 2ft long. It is also known as APW,
which stands for Air Pressurized Water.
Slide 12: Now let’s go back to the fire triangle. The water type
extinguisher will take away the heat element of the fire triangle. Hence,
breaking the chain reaction and killing the fire.
Slide 13: So, water type fire extinguisher is only used to extinguish the
Class A fire and if we use it on the fire that is caused by the flammable
liquids, we will end up spreading the fire. Moreover, if we use it on the
electrical fire, it can cause electrocution.
Slide 14: APW is the most common type and is usually found in residential
areas.
Slide 15: Now let’s talk about the second type of extinguisher, which is
CO2. It comes in black colour and is filled with CO2 gas. It comes in
various sizes like previous type.
Slide 16: CO2 is mainly used to extinguish Class B and Class C fires. It is
found in laboratories, mechanical rooms and server rooms. They must be
hydrotested every 5 years in accordance to NFPA.
Slide 17: So, CO2 fire extinguisher works by taking away the oxygen
element of the fire triangle as it is a non-flammable gas. It is also
extremely cold, as a result it also cools down the fire.
Slide 18: CO2 type extinguisher is not recommended for the type A fire as
it fails to remove enough heat from the chain reaction which would be
enough to stop the fire.
Slide 19: Now let’s discuss something about the third type which is Dry
Chemical. It forms a thin layer of dust on the fuel, hence separating fuel
and oxygen. It also disrupts the chain reaction. It is the most effective
type of fire extinguisher because it is disruptive and taking away two
components of the fire triangle.
Slide 20: The ABC fire extinguisher is composed of yellow powder. This
powder contains monoammonium phosphate and it is pressurized with
nitrogen. It comes in various sizes.
Slide 21: Dry Chemical Fire extinguishers comes in variety of types. There
are different labels found on them. Such as,
DC (for “Dry Chemical”)
ABC (can be used on Class A, B, or C fires)
BC (designed for use on Class B and C fires)
Slide 22: We must take care, while using dry chemical fire extinguisher.
For instance, we cannot use BC type on the Class A fire as it will make the
matter worse.
Slide 23: We should be aware of which type of fire extinguisher ids
available in our area. Usually, ABC type is found in hallways and
residential areas.
Slide 24: If you remember the acronym PASS, it will be easier to use it
during an emergency situation.
1. Pull
2. Aim
3. Squeeze
4. Sweep
Slide 25: The first step to operate the fire extinguisher is Pull. By pulling
the pin you can continue towards discharging the fire extinguisher.
Slide 26: Aim at the base of the fire, if you don’t do it the fuel will just fly
through the fire. You will not only waste the fire extinguisher fuel, but also
the fire will grow in the meantime.
Slide 27: So, after you aim at the base of the fire and press the nozzle
then you have to sweep from left to right. You have to slightly move
forward as the fire will lessen. Also, always keep an eye on the area, to
prevent re ignition of the fire.
Slide 28: Fires are very dangerous and you guys should be careful while
dealing with it.
1. Firstly, you should rescue any person if he is in immediate danger, if
you are not at risk.
2. Secondly, you should call 911 and press fire alarm, so the area fire
department is notified.
After you have done theses two things then extinguish the fire with the
method told above, if the fire is small.
Slide 29: Before extinguishing the fire, you should know what is burning, if
you don’t know this then it is highly risky for you as if you use wrong type
of extinguisher the material could explode.
Slide 30: So, if the fire is small and not spreading fast then you can use
the fire extinguisher to kill it, but if it is growing too quickly then the safest
option if to evacuate the area. Always close the door and windows behind
you.
Slide 31: You also have to remember one more thing, if you don’t have the
right type of fire extinguisher, don’t extinguish the fire. Also, if synthetic
materials such as nylon or foam are burning as they release toxic fumes.
Slide 32: While extinguishing the fire you should always position yourself
with the exit because if something unexpected happens, like fire
extinguisher explodes you can simply run away at that time and do not
become trapped.
Slide 33:
Q1. There are three components of Fire.
[Link]
2. Heat
3. Oxygen
Q2. There are four classes of fire
[Link] A
2. Class B
3. Class C
4. Class D
Q3. There are three types of fire extinguishers
[Link] (APW),
2. CO2
[Link] Chemical.
Q4. Water type fire extinguisher is used for Class A type of Fuel.
Q5. By using PASS method.
[Link] the pin
[Link] at the base of fire,
3. Squeeze
[Link] from side to side.
Slide 34: All of this information was taken from Fire Extinguisher Handbook
by UK FPA.
Thank you all for you attention and time. I hope this was a good learning
experience for you all and you will be able to apply this practically as well.