A fire extinguisher is a tool used to extinguish a fire in a small fire. Usually, it can be found in public places such as at a mall, school, campus, or even at home.
There are several types of fire extinguishers with different tube sizes, and the capacities inside are also different. So, it can be adjusted according to your needs or you can adjust the use of fire extinguisher based on how big the potential for fire is.
Usually, fire extinguishers have several capacities ranging from 1 kilogram to 9 kilograms. You can buy a fire extinguisher at a fire extinguisher distributor.
The purpose of this fire extinguisher is to make it easier to carry or use and is portable. In addition, the media contained in each fire extinguisher tube is always different. This is due to the adjustment of the source of the fire and extinguishing it more effectively.
Media that are often used are carbon dioxide, foam, and dry chemical powder. With this media content, it can extinguish fires caused by electricity.
Fire extinguishers can last for four years and are only used during fires. It would be nice to always maintain a fire extinguisher regularly so that when in an emergency, it can be used and function properly.
Things that must be considered in conducting fire extinguishers maintenance; namely the pressure from the fire extinguisher, the media from the fire extinguisher, and other components that are in the fire extinguisher.
Most people who see or have fire extinguishers do not always understand how to inspect fire extinguishers. There are several ways to inspect fire extinguishers that must be known, so when there is an unexpected fire, we can use the fire extinguisher properly.
The following are several ways to inspect fire extinguishers, including:
- Before using the fire extinguisher, you must check the label or checklist card from the fire extinguisher, because through this label we can find out how often the fire extinguisher was given treatment or was used before.
- Check the pressure contained in the fire extinguisher tube. Look for the signs first. If the fire extinguisher uses a pressure gauge, look for the marks on the needle located on the manometer. If the needle is seen in the green area, the fire extinguisher is still safe to use and there is still pressure. If the needle is going to be used from the green area, then immediately fill in the pressure first.
- Fire extinguisher using a stored pressure system must also be checked whether it can still function or not by looking at the cartridge seal. If the cartridge seal still looks intact, the sign is the fire extinguisher tube is still safe to use.
- Then it can be continued by checking the safety pin. If the safety pin looks broken, this is a sign that the fire extinguisher has been used before and requires refilling. After refilling, don’t forget to make sure that the fire extinguisher tube passes a leak test because a leaky fire extinguisher can be dangerous for the user.
- Next, check the component called a valve. The thing that must be checked from the valve component is the valve strength. Pay attention to whether the valve strength is still strong or needs to be replaced with a new one. If it doesn’t look strong, then immediately change to a new valve. You might also want to know about valve functions in fire extinguishers.
- The next step is to check the output components of the fire extinguisher, namely the hose. Make sure the hose is in a proper condition for use, and make sure there are no holes or creases in the hose. If the hose is not suitable for use, replace it immediately with a new one.
- Another output component that must be checked is the nozzle. The nozzle is located at the end of the hose which provides access to the feeding of the media out of the fire extinguisher tube. Make sure that the nozzle can be used and there is no clogging during use.
- If all components of the fire extinguisher have been checked and everything is safe, then provide a checklist on the labels provided in each fire extinguisher based on the checks that have been carried out. This can help the fire extinguisher track record and subsequent use of the fire extinguisher.
- When all is done, put the fire extinguisher back in a safe and easy-to-reach place.
Apart from studying the inspection of fire extinguishers manually, with the times, of course the smartphones we have are also getting more sophisticated. There is an application called “Firecek” to help you learn more about the fire extinguisher inspection.
The Firecek application can help by providing information on the fire extinguisher that we have, as well as saving the inspections that have just been carried out.
These are some of the steps for a proper fire extinguisher inspection. Having a fire extinguisher in a public place or at home is a security measure before a fire occurs.
It’s also good to know how to use a fire extinguisher so that when a fire occurs at an unexpected time, you can use the fire extinguisher while waiting for the firefighters to arrive.
How to use the fire extinguisher is quite easy. Keep in mind also the abbreviation P.P.P.S to make it easier to use the fire extinguisher. Here’s how to use it, including:
- P = Pull the safety pin on the fire extinguisher
- P = Point the nozzle or hose tip to the area where the fire occurred
- P = Press the fire extinguisher trigger to spray
- S = Swing the fire extinguisher to all areas where there is a fire
That’s how to use a fire extinguisher. Don’t forget to carry out routine checks if the fire extinguisher has not been used for a long time because we never know when a fire will occur. So, it’s better to anticipate than to face unwanted things.