How does a foam extinguisher work?

How does a foam extinguisher work?

Foam extinguishers are tanks of water and foam with compressed nitrogen as the propellant. They work by smothering the fire: when you spread a thin layer of foam over a fire, you cut the fuel off from the oxygen around it.

What must you not use water and foam extinguishers on?

Don’t Add Water Never use a water extinguisher on electrical fires or any fire involving a flammable liquid. As any science student will tell you, water conducts the current. If you spray water onto an electrical fire, inadvertently or intentionally, you risk electrocuting yourself.

What should a foam extinguisher not be used on?

Foam Extinguisher (AFFF) Do not use on chip or fat pan fires. For fires involving solids, point the jet at the base of the flames and keep it moving across the area of the fire. Ensure that all areas of the fire are out. For fires involving liquids, do not aim the jet straight into the liquid.

What does a foam extinguisher put out?

Foam fire extinguishers can be used on Class A and B fires. They are most suited to extinguishing liquid fires such as petrol or diesel and are more versatile than water jet extinguishers because they can also be used on solids such as wood and paper. Foam extinguishers have a cream label.

Where do you aim a foam extinguisher?

Aim the hose at the base of the fire with one hand. Don’t aim for the flames, but instead for the base moving the jet across the area of the fire to cover the flammable liquid.

How often should you complete your means of escape check?

Review your emergency plan at least annually to ensure it remains valid. Also, you should review your plan if anything changes in the interim period. These changes may include a redesign or refurbishment of a building. Maybe the introduction of a new activity or process, or a change to the use of a building.

Can foam extinguishers be used on electrical or metal fires?

Foam extinguishers are also safe for use on flammable liquid fires. They CANNOT be used on electrical fires or flammable metal fires as this extinguisher could end up exacerbating the fire. Foam extinguishers are ideal for premises which have multiple fire risks including offices, factories, warehouses and hotels.

Why is foam used to put out fires?

HOW FOAM EXTINGUISHES A FLAMMABLE LIQUID FIRE: Fire burns because there are four elements present. The foam blanket separates the flames/ignition source from the fuel surface. The foam cools the fuel and any adjacent metal surfaces. The foam blanket suppresses the release of flammable vapors that can mix with air.

Can foam extinguisher used electrical fires?

Please note that foam extinguishers should only be used on or near live electrical equipment if they are di-electrically tested. Only tackle small fires with an extinguisher. Electrical fires: If your foam extinguisher is tested to 35000 Volt (35kV) you can use the extinguishers on live electrical fires.

How to use a foam extinguisher?

How to use Foam Extinguishers 1 Pull the safety pin (Fig.3), this will also break the tamper seal 2 Squeeze the lever to start discharging the extinguisher. 3 Where to aim the fire extinguisher nozzle: Flammable liquids: Aim the hose at a vertical surface near the fire, do not spray directly at the fire as this could cause

How do you use a fire extinguisher correctly?

• Do NOT spray directly at the fire, this can cause it to spread to nearby surfaces • Where the liquid on fire is contained, point the extinguisher at the inside edge of the container • If it’s not contained, spray with a gentle, sweeping movement across the TOP of the fire, or against an adjacent surface

How do you extinguish a small oil fire?

It is a small fire, extinguish by foam portable extinguisher. Release the foam direct to the fire by deflecting it from another surface. Foam is lower specific gravity than oil or water that it will flows across the surface of oil and cover. The fire will stop by blanking with foam.

How does a AFFF fire extinguisher work?

AFFF works by smothering the fire and sealing in the flammable vapours. This prevents the fire re-igniting. It also allows foam fire extinguishers to put out flammable liquid fires, by creating a barrier between the liquid’s surface and the flames.