Cooking, Arson, Smoking, , Heating and Electrical short-circuits , Lap tops on beds, overloaded electrical equipments, Combustible storage areas with insufficient protection. Human error, General negligence,

Class A: Solids such as cloth, wood, rubber, paper, various plastics, and regular combustible fires.
Class B: Flammable Liquids such as for grease, petrol, Alcohol.
Class C: Flammable Gases & Electrical Fires such as LPG, Propane, methane, appliances, tools, and other plugged in gear.
Class E: Electrical Fires
Class F or K: Cooking Oil and Fats This contains a special purpose wet chemical agent for use in kitchen fires and deep fryers to stop fires started by vegetable oils, animal fats, or other fats started in cooking appliances.
An all-purpose ABC dry chemical extinguisher is a safe bet for most fires, especially when you're not sure of the fire's origins.

Portable and trolley mounted Fire Extinguishers devices play a vital role in keeping us safe. For most people fire extinguishers are invisible red cans on walls, never looked at, rarely considered. Often ignored, even by the fire community. But, fire extinguishers are the first line of defense in a fire accident. They occupy less place, are easy to use, They are used in more than 2600 businesses and non-residential structures every day, and they are the difference between a minor fire problem and a conflagration.

Here are the facts:
According to the most recent NFPA (National Fire Protection Association) data1, in 2008 U.S. fire departments responded to an estimated 1,451,500 fires. These fires resulted in 3,320 civilian fire fatalities, 16,705 civilian fire injuries and an estimated $15,478,000,000 in direct property loss. Of these fires 112,000 were responded to in commercial or municipal buildings. Of the over $15 Billion in property damage, more than $3.811 Billion took place in these non-residential structures. This represents an average loss per reported incident in non-residential / commercial structures of over $34,000

The Vital Role of a fire extinguisher:
To highlight the effectiveness of extinguishers in the early stage fire fighting, a UK study performed by FETA (Fire Extinguishing Trades Association) and IFEDA (Independent Fire Engineering and Distributors Association) reviewed over 2100 fire incidents and found that in 80% of the cases a portable fire extinguisher successfully extinguished the fire and in 75% of those cases, the fire department was not required to attend.

A similar survey was conducted by EUROFEU (European Committee of the Manufacturers of Fire Protection Equipment and Fire Fighting Vehicles) in 6 European countries and it found strikingly consistent results. In over 2600 incidents recorded it concluded that in 81.5% of cases the portable extinguisher successfully extinguished the fire and in 74.6% of the cases the fire department was not required to attend.

Market provides solid statistical evidence that in approximately 80% of all fire incidents a portable fire extinguisher is the only fire fighting tool needed to extinguish the fire. Further, they indicate that in 60% of all fire incidents the fire department is not notified (and thus the event would not appear in NFPA statistics). If applied to the 2008 NFPA data, fire extinguishers effectively managed approximately 224,000 fires in commercial structures, 168,000 of which do not appear in NFPA statistics.

Fire Extinguishers protect the Environment:
Fire extinguishers also play a critical role in protecting the environment by controlling fires at their very early stages. The availability of accessible and working fire extinguishers assures that the highest possible percentage of fires will be controlled with the minimal environmental impact possible

• When You are confident
• You know to operate the fire extinguisher
• Only fight a fire in the incipient stage
• You have a escape, exit behind you
NEVER fight a fire if any of the following apply:
• Don't have the proper extinguisher or equipment
• Fire has spread beyond its point of origin
• Your instincts tell you GET OUT
• One extinguisher is not enough
• Smoke is affecting your breathing
• You cannot see the way out
• Gas cylinders or chemicals are involved
• Your efforts are not reducing the size of the fire

When it comes to using a fire extinguisher. Handling a small, contained fire, it's important to know which fire extinguisher to use. There are different types of fire extinguisher, but choosing the right one will save your Life and property using the wrong one can risk your life and aggravate the fire. Fire extinguishers remove one of the elements that support combustion , in order to extinguish the fires

Types of Portable Fire Extinguisher
• Water - The cheapest and most widely used fire extinguishers. Used for Class A fires. Not suitable for Class B (Liquid) fires, or where electricity is involved. For fires involving plastics, papers, wood, rubber, and cloth.
• Foam – More expensive than water, but more versatile. Used for Classes A & B fires involving Flammable Liquids such as for grease, petrol, Alcohol. Foam spray extinguishers are not recommended for fires involving electricity, for fires
• D.C.P – for fires involving Classes B & C fires Flammable Liquids such as for grease, petrol, Alcohol, Flammable Gases & Electrical Fires such as LPG, Propane, methane, appliances, tools, and other plugged in gear.
• Special D.C.P for fires involving Class D fires Flammable Metals Such as Magnesium, Sodium, Potassium
• An all-purpose ABC dry chemical extinguisher for fires involving plastics, papers, wood, rubber, and cloth. Flammable Liquids such as for grease, petrol, Alcohol, Flammable Gases & Electrical Fires such as LPG, Propane, methane, appliances, tools, and other plugged in gear.
• Warning: when used indoors, powder can obscure vision or damage goods and machinery. It is also very messy.
• Co2 – for fires involving Classes B & C fires Flammable Liquids such as for grease, petrol, Alcohol, Flammable Gases & Electrical Fires such as LPG, Propane, methane, appliances, tools, and other plugged in gear.
• Clean Agents – for fires involving Electrical and Electronics Fires
• Wet Agent – for fires involving Classes F or K Grease Cooking Oil, fryers and Fats

While working in a warehouse or factory, there are always opportunities for a sudden fire. While many believe that fire safety is second nature for everyone, not all employees may know how to use a fire extinguisher or how to react in the case of a fire. This is why fire extinguisher training is important for your warehouse or factory staff. This type of training will give your employees the knowledge and skills they need to stay safe during a fire emergency.

• Many people are unnecessarily injured by fire at work each year
The first piece of knowledge your employees should learn during fire extinguisher training is how a fire operates. It is important to know that a fire is composed of four main components. Once one of those components is removed, the fire will no longer be able to burn. These four components are a ARLRDBD, Fuel, Heat and chemical chain reaction, The next step in fire extinguisher training is to learn the different classes of fires, This will help your employees choose the best extinguisher possible. During fire extinguisher training, it is imperative that employees know the questions they should ask themselves before reaching for a portable fire extinguisher. These questions are:

1. Do I know what is burning?
2. Is the room filling with smoke quickly?
3. Is the fire contained to a safe area?
4. Do I have a safe and clear path to escape? If an employee is unable to answer any of these questions positively, then they should leave the premise immediately and call emergency personnel.
• Many people are unnecessarily injured by fire at work each year
• Management care about your safety
• The law specifically requires larger employers to train its staff in Fire Safety
• Have an understanding of Fire
• Be able to reduce Fire risk at Work
• Know what to do when the Fire Alarm sounds
• Know what to do if you find a fire
• Be able to correctly and safely select and use a fire extinguisher

Fire is the most notorious business disaster. A fire emergency can happen any moment at your place of business. You need to have an effective fire safety plan set in place. As a business owner/ manager, it's your responsibility to have fire drills throughout the year to make sure all workers understand what to do during a fire emergency. For example to give them an understanding of :

• The nature of Fire
• Fire hazards and risk
• Fire Prevention at work
• Local Fire procedures
• How to select and use a portable fire extinguisher safely
• Regroup and account for workers during a life-threatening situation.

In the Event of Fire

• Pull nearest alarm station
• Immediately exit the building using the nearest exit
• Do not stop to collect your belongings
• Proceed to nearest exit in an orderly fashion
• Assemble at the designated assembly point
• Provide emergency crews with information about people absent or went out to run errands.
• Provide emergency crews with information about people still in the building
• Provide information to emergency crews about the reason for evacuation
• Never re-enter a building until instructed to by the police department, fire department, or EHS staff.
If you hear an alarm DO NOT assume it is a drill, YOUR LIFE depends on it!

In case of a fire accident the first causality is the power supply and if your facility lacks reliable self luminous exit and emergency lights, it's time to improve your fire and life safety systems.

Self luminous signage Exit & Emergency lights are essential fire safety and life safety products. The self luminous exit signs are the most cost effective exit & emergency light systems. Self luminous exit signs come in red and green to guide building occupants out to safety. Self luminous signage Exit & Emergency lights are commonly installed in corridors, doors and passages. The word "EXIT" and the picture is visible on self luminous exit signs to ensure all building occupants can find exit routes quickly and easily at times of emergency.

It its mandatory to fix or install Self luminous signage Exit In comparison to standard exit signs as self luminous exit signs use photo luminescent technology, powered by the light within the building and glows in darkness, require no electricity to operate and are virtually maintenance free as you will not need to replace light or bulbs.
Self luminous signage Exit sign installations will save you more money than purchasing generic exit signs. you will reap the benefits of long-term savings as self-luminous exit signs can last 15 years before replacement is required.
Install them to save precious time and safe life's

Alarms are a fire safety requirement for both residential and commercial properties. Smoke alarms are one of the most affordable and effective ways to prevent fire injuries and save lives as they give an early warning to the occupants, thus giving that extra precious time to save their lives and property
In a fire accident, Remember, Most people do not die of fire burns, but due to asphyxiation, i.e, inhaling smoke and toxic gases. Such fatalities can be drastically reduced by installing Alarms, the early warning system to escape the premises before a major fatality

Alarms are installed for early warnings, to detect both flaming and smoldering fires. So it is very important to regularly maintain it by a fire protection technician. As with any other system, electronics and other components can degrade over time and compromise the system's operation. Dust, dirt, and other contaminants can cause problems with smoke detectors.
Systems between five and ten years old may experience component breakdown caused by harsh, but normal, environmental factors. Voltage fluctuations, temperature, and humidity may cause system failure or costly false alarms.
Systems between ten and fifteen years old can still provide appropriate life-safety response. However, systems in this category may be beyond their technological life expectancy.
But with proper testing, inspection, and maintenance you can keep your fire alarm system at optimum operating performance. In addition to ensuring protection, keeping your system in good condition reduces expenses by preventing unbudgeted emergency repairs and costly false alarms.