Fire extinguishers are the core equipment for extinguishing initial fires. Mastering their correct use is related to the safety of life and property. When facing a fire, the correct use of fire extinguishers can effectively control the fire and buy precious time for personnel evacuation and fire rescue. However, many people are not familiar with the use of fire extinguishers, and even have misunderstandings. Let's learn in detail how to use fire extinguishers correctly.
1. Clarify the premise of use
Different types of fire extinguishers are used for different types of fires, which is key information that must be clarified before use. For example, dry powder fire extinguishers are suitable for extinguishing initial fires of flammable liquids such as petroleum and organic solvents, flammable gases and electrical equipment; carbon dioxide fire extinguishers are mainly used to extinguish initial fires of valuable equipment, archives, instruments and meters, electrical equipment below 600 volts and oils; water-based fire extinguishers are suitable for extinguishing fires of solid materials and non-water-soluble liquids. Before using a fire extinguisher, you must first determine the type of fire and choose a matching fire extinguisher to avoid ineffective fire extinguishing or even danger due to choosing the wrong type.
2. Master the four-step usage of "lift, pull, hold, and press"
The correct operation steps are the guarantee of effective fire extinguishing, which can be summarized as the four-character formula of "lift, pull, hold, and press". First, "lift", lift the fire extinguisher with both hands, and quickly run to the fire scene, paying attention to keeping a safe distance, generally 3-5 meters away from the fire source. Then "pull", unplug the safety pin on the fire extinguisher, and the fire extinguisher is in a state of standby use. Then "hold", hold the nozzle of the fire extinguisher with one hand, aim the nozzle at the root of the flame, and hold the pressure handle of the fire extinguisher with the other hand. Finally, "press", press the pressure handle hard, aim at the root of the flame and spray. During the spraying process, the nozzle should be kept stable, sweeping left and right, from near to far, and gradually advancing until the flame is completely extinguished.
3. Pay attention to safety matters
When using a fire extinguisher to extinguish a fire, safety is always the primary consideration. When extinguishing a fire, stand upwind to avoid being burned or choked by flames and smoke. If you are extinguishing a fire in a closed space, you must evacuate quickly after using a carbon dioxide fire extinguisher to prevent suffocation due to excessive carbon dioxide concentration. For electrical fires, you must first cut off the power supply and then use the corresponding fire extinguisher to extinguish the fire to avoid electric shock accidents. In addition, during the fire extinguishing process, if you find that the fire cannot be controlled, you should immediately evacuate the scene and call 119 to seek help from professional firefighters.
4. Regular inspection and maintenance
The daily inspection and maintenance of fire extinguishers are important links to ensure that they can be used normally when a fire occurs. First, check whether the pressure of the fire extinguisher is within the normal range. The pressure gauge pointer in the green area indicates normal pressure, the red area indicates insufficient pressure, and the yellow area indicates excessive pressure. Fire extinguishers with abnormal pressure need to be sent for inspection and repair in time. Secondly, check whether the bottle of the fire extinguisher is damaged or rusted, whether the nozzle is unobstructed, and whether the safety pin is intact. In addition, fire extinguishers have an expiration date. Fire extinguishers that have exceeded the expiration date need to be replaced with agents or scrapped in time. Regular inspection and maintenance of fire extinguishers can ensure that they can be "taken out, used and extinguished" at critical moments.
