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Fire Extinguishers & The PASS System

August 25, 2006

Fire extinguishers are a very handy thing to have around at the early stages of a fire.  As everyone knows, all big fires start out as little fires.  If you can put them out when they are little fires, it’s much better for all of those involved!  To make this possible, we have Fire Extinguishers.  These really are just small fire trucks in hand-portable sizes!  They come in small (2 ½ pound) up to large (20 pound) sizes for residential use. 

Fire Extinguishers come in many classes.  These are A:  for use on ordinary fuels like wood and paper, B:  for use with flammable liquids, C:  for use on electrical equipment and D:  for use on flammable metals.  For basic residential use, they have multi-class extinguishers that will cover both A & B or A, B & C fires.  These are obviously the best for the house because no one wants to have three different types of fire extinguishers and try to figure out which one to use when there’s a fire!

In Fire Extinguishers, the difference in size is equal to the difference in the amount of fire that they can extinguish.  But, don’t be fooled by the small size of a 2 ½ pound, multi-use extinguisher.  I’ve actually put out a small kitchen fire with one!  Also, a smaller, easier to move extinguisher might be easier to use by everyone in the house.  If it’s to heavy to move, it’s not going to be much help!

Now, how to use a Fire Extinguisher.  To make this easy to remember, some smart person came up with the pneumonic “PASS.”  This stands for “Pull, Aim, Squeeze & Sweep.”  When you need to use the extinguisher, you first “Pull” the safety pin from the handle.  Then you “Aim” the extinguisher nozzle at the base of the fire.  This is below the visible flame and above the fuel source (this is where the actual burning is taking place).  If it’s any type of a contained liquid fire (ie. grease in a pan), aim across the top of the container and let the extinguishing agent fall across the top of the fire.  If you aim the extinguisher directly into the liquid, it will splash the fire out of the container, possible spreading it.  Next you “Squeeze” the handle to activate the extinguisher and finally you “Sweep” across the target.  Continue until the fire is out.

A couple of things to remember.  If it’s any type of cooking fire, turn off the source of heat (stove, oven, gas grill, etc.) or the fire will keep re-igniting.  If the fire involves any type of electrical equipment, unplug the item or shut off the breaker at the box.  This will prevent re-ignition as well as keep you from getting shocked.

Last point.  For Fire Extinguishers to be effective, they have to be accessible.  Having one stuck behind a bunch of stuff in a closet or cabinet doesn’t help during a fire, just like having to run up or down stairs to get it doesn’t.  Have one on each floor of the house and near the places you might need them (I have one in the kitchen, one in my work shop and one in the garage).  And, make sure everyone in the house knows where they are and how to use them.  That way, anyone in the house can help during a fire.
 

Written by John Kiracofe · Filed Under Safety Bulletins 

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