Portable non-aerosol fire extinguishers may fail to operate correctly during a fire if they are incorrectly labelled. Make sure you're using an extinguisher that meets the mandatory safety standard.
About non-aerosol fire extinguishers
Non-aerosol fire extinguishers contain substances that are discharged in a rapid stream to extinguish a small fire. These may include:
- water
- wet chemical
- foam
- powder.
Non-aerosol fire extinguishers can be refillable or non-refillable and can put out different types of fires, such as cooking oil or electrical fires.
Risks and injuries
The main hazard caused by a fire extinguisher failure is that they don't operate or perform satisfactorily when there is a fire. A user can suffer serious burns if a fire extinguisher fails.
Incorrect labelling can lead to the use of a fire extinguisher containing incorrect ingredients. This can inflame a fire, and may cause serious burns.
