Overview of Portable Fire Extinguishers

This online engineering PDH course is designed to provide basic information on the portable fire extinguishers and their proper selection, location, identification, maintenance and use.

Each year fire causes over $9 billion in direct property loss in US alone. A portable fire extinguisher can save lives and property by putting out a small fire or containing it until the fire department arrives. Studies have shown that when an individual is properly trained on the use of fire extinguishers, they are two and a half times more effective when extinguishing a fire.

Extinguishers are classified by the types of fire that they can extinguish. Some extinguishers are suitable for extinguishing only one type of fire, while others can be effective on multiple types. To help in choosing the proper extinguishers, fires are categorized as Class A, B, C, or D, according to the type of fuel (e.g., paper, grease, oil) that is involved in the fire. Extinguishers are available for use on one or more classes of fire, depending on the extinguishing agent they contain (e.g., water, dry chemicals, CO2 or foam). Location and accessibility of fire extinguishers are vital considerations. Extinguishers are more likely be used when they are readily available in sufficient number and type by persons familiar with their operation.

This 3 PDH online course is applicable to all engineers, architects, environmentalists, operations and maintenance personnel, as well as consultants and contractors who construct, build and manage facilities. The course is intended for everyone.