Fire extinguisher placement and installation
AS2444 governs the installation of portable fire extinguishers, here is a brief overview of some of the things that entails.
Installation
Fire extinguishers have certain requirements for their installation to ensure that they will be usable by occupants in the event of a fire. The requirements for the installation of a fire extinguisher are:
The top of the handle shall be no more than 1200mm from the ground
The bottom of the cylinder shall be no less than 100mm from the ground
Not in a location where access poses a hazard to a user
Signage
All fire extinguishers must have their location identified by a sign, the size depending on the distance it needs to be legible to and where it will be installed. You don’t need a sign for every extinguisher however, a single sign may be used to indicate multiple extinguishers at the one location. According to AS2444, signs must:
Location
There are a number of factors that go into where your fire extinguishers should be placed, many will be specific to your site. As such you should engage a competent contractor to ensure your extinguishers are located correctly. Nonetheless, there are some general rules and guidelines set out in AS2444 that you can use to quickly assess the overall suitability of your extinguisher locations:
Environment
Aggressive or harsh environments can affect an extinguishers longevity or functionality, if your extinguishers are mounted in an aggressive environment they will require protection, often in the form of a protective bag or cabinet. Some examples of aggressive environments are:
Locations that are exposed to sun, wind, rain or salt spray
Corrosive atmospheres
Dusty or moist environments
Locations that expose the extinguisher to intense or continuous vibration
Locations with extremes of temperature.