Fire is a scary force of nature that’s hard to control. There are many home fires every year, which results in many injuries. If you run a building, and that building isn’t equipped for fire protection, there’s little you can do for the fire spreading and ruining your livelihood.
But exactly how many fire extinguishers does your building need for maximum fire safety?
If you’ve found yourself asking this question, you’ve come to the right place. This article will walk you through the number of fire extinguishers your business needs for maximum building safety.
Fire Protection Basics
There are a few basic things to know before you get into the nitty-gritty of fire-extinguisher specifics. Simple fire extinguishers are proven to possess maximum efficiency for dealing with fires. This is why OSHA guidelines state that you should have a fire extinguisher every seventy-five feet.
Different fires have different levels of danger. This is why there is a class ranking to determine the seriousness of each individual fire.
Fire Classes
Class A fires are the garden-variety fire that you see in most cases. They entail normal, everyday combustible products catching fire, such as wood, plastic, or fabric. Though they are more standard, they are still very dangerous.
Class B fires involve flammable liquids. The presence of various oils, kerosene, propane, makes a fire more difficult to deal with, and thereby more dangerous.
Class C fires involve electrical wiring. They’re also known as electrical fires. They pose all of the risks of standard fires, with the added risk of electrocution.
Each building is examined on its own to determine its fire hazard level — or how likely there is to be a dangerous fire. This rating will also determine how many fire extinguishers you need in your building to stay safe.
How Many Fire Extinguishers
As you can see, commercial fire safety and fire protection for businesses largely depend on the individual specifications of your workplace. Take into account all of the factors that go into your specific business before you decide how many extinguishers to put up.
That being said, there are some standard guidelines. OSHA recommends that you should have a fire extinguisher every seventy-five feet — this is for buildings at a class A risk. Buildings that are at a class B risk should keep one around every fifty feet. Buildings with class C specifications should have one every fifty feet.
It’s also important to note that specific types of fire extinguishers are needed for different fire threats.
Protect Your Livelihood
It’s had to stop the whims of mother nature. Fortunately, however, we can control the human hazards we create for ourselves. By knowing the level of risk your building is in, you can take steps towards fire protection, and protect you, your workers, and your livelihood.
For more information, request a quote with us today.
