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Your home is your sanctuary - a safe
haven. But accidents can happen to even the most careful homeowner.
Are you prepared?
Fire extinguishers can and do save
lives. Having a fire extinguisher in the kitchen is an inexpensive and
easy safety measure. Kitchen fires usually involve grease. You do not
want to attempt to douse the fire with water. A fire extinguisher
within arms reach of the stove is a wise thing to have.
There are basically four different types
or classes of fire extinguishers, each of which extinguishes specific
types of fire. Newer fire extinguishers use a picture/labeling system
to designate which types of fires on which they are to be used. Older
fire extinguishers are labeled with colored geometrical shapes and
letter designations.
The new labeling style uses the
universal diagonal red line drawn through the picture to indicate what
type of fire this extinguisher is NOT suitable for. While the labels
show what type of fire the Extinguisher is designed for, you'll need
to determine your homeowner needs before buying the wrong type, or
before placing different extinguishers in the various parts of your
home. For example, some fire extinguishers should be used on Ordinary
Combustibles and Flammable Liquids fires, but not for Electrical
Equipment fires. Many extinguishers available today can be used on
different types of fires and will be labeled with more than one
designator, e.g. A-B, B-C, or A-B-C.
Make sure that if you have a
multi-purpose extinguisher it is properly labeled. Even though
extinguishers come in a number of shapes and sizes, they all operate
in a similar manner. Here's an easy acronym for fire extinguisher use:
P.A.S.S. Pull - Aim - Squeeze -
Sweep
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Pull the pin at the top of
the extinguisher that keeps the handle from being accidentally
pressed.
-
Aim the nozzle toward the
base of the fire.
-
Stand approximately 8 feet away
from the fire and squeeze the handle to discharge the
extinguisher. If you release the handle, the discharge will stop.
-
Sweep the nozzle back and
forth at the base of the fire. After the fire appears to be out,
watch it carefully since it may re-ignite!
If you feel that your situation is beyond the ability of your fire
extinguisher to manage, don't ever hesitate to call 9-1-1 for
assistance and take every precaution to ensure the safety of you and
your family. Evacuate the home, call from a neighbor's phone, and
under no circumstances should you go back into your house until the
fire department gives you an all clear.
Copyright 2004 PropertySource Network |
