All fire safety legislation in England and Wales for non-domestic premises is covered by the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (RRO), which states that appropriate fire-fighting equipment, including portable fire extinguishers, must be provided where there is any risk of fire.

The RRO states that business owners and managers as designated Responsible Persons are responsible for carrying out a fire safety risk assessment and implementing and maintaining a fire management plan.

Since the law is not prescriptive in many areas, the fire safety risk assessment is crucial, and applies to all businesses, however small. The Responsible Persons should ensure staff are trained in extinguisher location and correct use, and hold fire drills and evacuation procedures. Failure to protect staff by providing appropriate equipment could lead to prosecution and refusal of insurance pay-outs, apart from injury and loss of life.

The provision and maintenance of fire extinguishers is also covered by BS5306, which gives guidelines as to which extinguishers to use where and on what type of fire, but also allows an element of choice.

AB Fire & Security are experts in fire safety and our trained fire extinguisher engineers can advise you of the correct type and number of extinguishers you require and the most suitable locations.

It is important to note that fire extinguishers are not a substitute for an automatic fire suppression systems such as sprinklers, alarms or gaseous systems. Fire extinguishers should be used as a complement to these systems in the event of a fire.