What Kind of Fire Extinguisher Needed for Commercial & Industrial Properties?

A guide to the right kind of fire extinguisher you need to use for commercial or industrial properties

Every commercial or industrial property owner must take fire prevention seriously as lot has been invested in terms of time and money to establish the commercial/industrial property. Every owner must examine the fire prevention plan and have a policy in place to minimize the damage due to fire. Both active and passive fire protection systems must be in place to protect the investment and the employees. You must have a commercial fire extinguisher system in place, if you do to have one or it is outdated, it is necessary to buy a new one or install one right away.

Classes of fire extinguishers

Fire is divided into various classes:

Class A

Is effective in extinguishing ordinary combustible material fire like cloth, wood, rubber, plastic and paper

Class B

Liquid flammables like grease, gasoline, oil and oil based paints

Class C

Used to extinguish appliance, tools, and electrical equipment fires

Class D

Fire extinguisher for flammable metals

Class K

Fires that involve combustibles like animal fats, oils and vegetable oils, which are commonly caused in commercial kitchens.

An active fire protection system means a commercial fire system that requires motion in order to work. There are two types of active fire protection (AFP) systems available today. One is the fire suppression system and the other is the sprinkler system. The fire suppression system controls and extinguishes the fire upon deployment. The agents used to fight the fire have evolved over the years. An additive can be added to water as an extinguishing agent for all classes of fires.

Most of the commercial and industrial properties install a sprinkler system to reduce the damage to property and life. The sprinkler system is automatically activated on sensing fire or smoke, sprays water from the head sprinkler and the piping to control the fire and gives an opportunity for people to escape.

Fire Extinguishing Gel is the widely used to extinguish and control commercial fires. The gel based extinguishers stores the water to achieve up to 20 times more cooling effect on solid material than plain water. Once the water evaporates, there are chances that the protective effect ceases and the gel becomes combustible.

Prevento is an additive that is a combination of SAP, super-absorb polymer, gelling agent, organic salts and hydrocolloid stabilizer to prevent separation. This extinguishing agent can be reactivated by spraying water once the water from the gel evaporates. The original gel structure is restored, which protects the area against auto ignition.

Prevento is effectively used for solid, liquid, gaseous combustibles, vegetable oils, animal fats and metallic combustibles. This is especially suitable for the rubber, plastic and oil industry.

All business/commercial and industrial properties have to undergo a fire safety inspection annually. To pass the inspection, every business must ensure that the fire extinguishing systems are in order. Febbex North America is registered company in Ohio who provide solutions and products for the suppression and extinguishing various classes of fire. Prevento is a registered product that is a fire extinguisher additive, developed and manufactured in Germany with the highest quality standards.