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Fire Training

Fire Safety Services offer a comprehensive range of fire safety training courses and on-site demonstrations covering the following areas: Fire extinguisher training; Theory of combustion; Fire-fighting techniques; The system of fire classification; Types and operation of fire extinguishers; Procedure on discovering a fire; Evacuation procedures: Roll call; Use of hose reels; General maintenance; Good housekeeping.

Understanding The Theory Of Fire

In order to understand how fire extinguishers work, you first need to know a little bit about fire.

Fire is a chemical reaction involving rapid oxidation (burning) of a fuel. Three things must be present at the same time in order to produce fire:

triangle of fireFUEL - any combustible material - solid, liquid or gas. Most solids and liquids must vaporize before they will burn.

OXYGEN - Sufficient oxygen must be present in the atmosphere surrounding the fuel for fire to burn.

HEAT - Sufficient heat energy must be applied to raise the fuel to it's ignition temperature.

The combination of these three elements is frequently referred to as the "fire triangle". The important thing to remember is that if any one of these three things can be removed there will be no fire or the fire will be extinguished. Essentially, fire extinguishers put out fire in most cases by taking away one or more elements of the fire triangle.

Fire safety, at its most basic, is based upon the principle of keeping fuel and ignition sources from contact with each other.

UK FIRE CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM & TYPES OF EXTINGUISHING MEDIUM
FIRE CHART A B C D E Arrow
WATER YES NO NO NO NO NO
FOAM YES YES NO NO NO NO
CLASS F WET CHEMICAL YES NO NO NO YES NO
ABC DRY POWDER YES YES YES NO YES YES
CLASS D POWDER NO NO NO YES NO NO
CARBON DIOXIDE NO YES NO NO NO YES