getting rid of extinguishers

[Simon72]

I understand and sympathise with all posts in relation to the need, or the want to remove FFE from premises, but as FE's were intially designed to procure the means of escape from a premise, do you not feel it would be unwise to remove a vital passive fire protection measure, after all FE's do save the economy money, and reduce the impact on business interuption if used safely and effectively in the early stages of a fire, provided as specified in Article 13 of the FSO they are used by suitably trained operatives.

as far as the extinguisher service company not liking it, well hardly surprising considering you are taking away their food....!

Simon

[AnthonyB]

Wow - sounds just like an extract from an edition of FIA Focus!

You are not in the trade yourself by any chance? 

Extinguishers do play their place and I have used enough for real in various situations to be glad of having them about. I bet places these days wouldn't have first aid boxes & first aiders/appointed persons if it weren't an absolute prescriptive requirement, which it can be argued extinguishers no longer are except in specific situations (PSV's, ADR, Maritime, etc)

I'd class them as active FP myself though

[Simon72]

Anthony,

thank you for pointing out the obvious error so grossly overlooked by myself in terms of Extinguishers being active, and not passive....Whoops 

as far as you other comment about being in the trade, yes a little.. and that's about all..

[kurnal]

Did anyone ever really believe the line about fire extinguishers being there to procure a means of escape? I know thats what people used to say - mostly the fire brigade because we could not bear the thought of anyone taking our job off us. But in reality cutting through the bull they have always been about putting out a small fire before it becomes a big fire - ie mitigation. Thank goodness sense has prevailed and their proper role is now recognised in the legislation.

[FSO]

I totally agree Kurnal.

If FFE has to be used to maintain an egress, then lets face it, things have gone very wrong!

The trouble is, it really doesn't help when the CLG guides state exactly the opposite!

[Simon72]

The last comments to my post with respect to extinguishers being designed to procure a means of escape.

in terms of using an extinguisher in the literall sense of escaping a building, of course not that's not what i meant! But they do serve to extinguish a small workplace fire as we all know, and accordingly they could be used to extinguish small fires that may have broken out in escape routes. It would appear that this forum is sometimes used for unconstructive comments..

simon 

[Midland Retty]

Hi Simon

Whilst I that agree extinguishers have their place in preventing a small fire becoming a bigger one, they are not, and never have been, a device to protect a means of escape or indeed maintain the tennability of a means of escape.

I'd be rather concerned (to put it mildly) if a fire occurred on a means of escape in the first place.

[wee brian]

Fires often start in escape routes.

[Phoenix]

Fires often start in escape routes.

Escape routes should be protected by one of the following:

1. by being separated from the fire by fire resisting construction
2. by the limitation of travel distance which ensures that the fire can be passed (by all) whilst still in its incipient stage
3. by having an alternative route available that can safely allow all to escape the fire

There are no exceptions.

Did I mention extinguishers? No.

Stu

[nearlythere]

Fires often start in escape routes.

Fires often start anywhere but where are they most likely to?

Remember that in an emergency an escape route starts from where you are standing or sitting until you reach a place of safety. So yes technically all fires can start in an escape route if that is what it is.

[Midland Retty]

Fires often start in escape routes.

I didnt say that they didn't , I said I'd be somewhat concerned if they did 

[nearlythere]

Fires often start in escape routes.

I didnt say that they didn't , I said I'd be somewhat concerned if they did 

Wee Brian said that.

[Midland Retty]

I know he did Nearlythere my old chum, and if you look carefully thats why the quote box I included says "quote from Wee Brian"

I despair I really do! 

[nearlythere]

I know he did Nearlythere my old chum, and if you look carefully thats why the quote box I included says "quote from Wee Brian"

I despair I really do! 

Ahhhhhhhhhhh (whilst looking at siad quote this time) OK.

You mean dispair of shoes, or what?

[Midland Retty]

who are you callin Siad?