FireNet Community
FIRE SERVICE AND GENERAL FIRE SAFETY TOPICS => Fire Safety => Topic started by: Mushy on September 01, 2009, 02:26:04 PM
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Hi
Now that all fire extinguishers should be signal red with 5% of the body colour coded...is it still legal to have chrome (stainless steel) extinguishers
I have a feeling that they are still legal but should be replaced at the end of their 'useful life'
Thanks
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All BS are recommedations not requirements, they are generally accepted as best practice. If the RP wants them to be pea green instead thats up to him- if anyone is ever harmed as a result of this decision or if the fire authority dont like it it will be down to the RP to satisfy the beak that his arrangements provided an equivalent standard of safety to a code compliant solution. He may choose to provide additional training and instruction to those who may use the extinguishers as a risk control measure.
So no they dont need to be replaced. Silver ones are very common in classy shops.
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Kurnal, sorry to correct you, but all BS are not recs. Product standards contain only requriements and are not allowed to contain recs. The requirements are not legally enforceable unless (rarely) the BS is made a legal requirement by a piece of legislation. So BS EN 3 DOES contain requirements but only in the sense that they are used for Kitemarking etc.
You can have tartan FEA if you want, and personally I would advocate it. They wont comply with BS EN 3, but there is no fire safety legislation that demands they should. Stainless steel is only marginally less pleasant than tartan.
Ps I always thought you bought those suits from classy shops, rather than the nearly new store.
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Sir Sweeney Todd
Tartan extinguishers - what a frankly marvellous idea - where can I buy one?
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Do they come with little kilts attached?
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Do they come with little kilts attached?
Is that a hose underneath your sporran or are you just pleased to see me?
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Grand wizard Retty, Send a cheque to the usual address and I will send a hand painted one in the Retty tartan by return.
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http://www.minimax-mobile.com/index.php?id=1&L=1
Genuine working extinguishers as works of art - in addition to stock designs you can have any design you want applied.
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Thats a brilliant idea. I wonder what the fee would be for one in red with say...- lets think outside the box- a red label?.
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Hey Kurnal you may have hit on a good idea here. I know it will next catch on but perhaps you could have a blue one as well as different type, lets say dry powder. Gosh imagine that, being able to distinguish the different types at a glance. Nah it'll never catch on.....I'll go cut my hedge
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Just had to re-assure a customer that all his cream coloured foam units are still legal despite what a multi-national (lock making) rep had just told him.
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for info
BS 7863 :2009
Recommendations for colour coding to indicate the extinguishing media contained in portable fire extinguishers
:)
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"5.5 Any colours used on the body of the extinguisher and/or any
labels should be of such an area or intensity as not to detract from the
colour used to designate the extinguishing medium"
Certain companies (well one actually) won the colour coding battle in BS5306-3:2009, but the above sneaked in by the back door should stop them having green labelled foams in future - perhaps....
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Somewhere in the depths of my memory I recall hearing of a "true" tale of a hotel owner who insisted the colour of his extinguishers matched the walls upon which they which sat on or he would have them/the provider removed.
It could have been this site (Ring any bells?) or a discussion with someone somewhere but it's one of those things that kinda stick in your mind (somewhere). Bizarre. ::)
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Try http://www.kingfell.com/~forum/index.php?topic=1452.0 it was on this forum (December 07, 2006, 08:03:23 pm).
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It was once common to offer different finishes to extinguishers to match the decor of the house or business premises in to which they would serve.
Minimax offered Signal Red, Maroon, White and Leather clad, but Merryweather's Konus Kemik was offered in many different finishes - I have a 1920's brochure illustrated with various metallic, polished wood effect and art deco colours to suit almost every environment.
Even as late as the 70's Hoover installed new special made Copper 2 gallon and Chrome 1 gallon water extinguishers for their Glasgow HQ (Ii've been lucky enough to salvage a quantity as the building was cleared by Hover on leaving).
The key is that those most likely to use them can quickly identify them - if all the staff know that the purple cylinders with the polished brass pictogram sign above them are AB class Foam fire extinguishers then it shouldn't be a big issue.