Fire Extinguishers

I'm aware which type of Fire extinguisher to be using. At the moment I've got an ABC powder extinguisher. But is the Liquid B version alot more efficent should anything nasty happen?

Post deleted by marco

i would be carefull on this one, as you are dealing with a large area, this being yours or another persons safty, and maybe life!

i carry a fire blanket, and i knwo other people carry water in bottles, and cloths as well,

but the best way to be is to have lots of safty awarness, so that you should not ever need a fire extinguisher.....

I just got a fancy 10lb CO2 fire extinguisher for christmas so my opinion may be biast. I think they are the best. It removes oxygen and the heat. CO2 is COLD, I've heard military stories of people using CO2 fire extinguishers to instantly chill warm beer. I also feel that since CO2 is ealily refillable and not messy, you and your safety will be less hesetant to use it. Having suffered a 3rd degree burn just from heat, I would have wanted that CO2 blast to instantly cool down the area.

Yup, your of course right on this, I'm removing my original post, since I have no wish to run into problems should someone else f@@k something up, I have however taken part in a number of fire safety courses partly related to my place of work and partly to further my own understanding, I have also extensively experimented with differing modes of fire extinguishing and have found what works best for me, this may differ from others views,

I think fire safety is something we all should look extensively into ourselfs and not simply take the word of others, I carry four types of extingusher

water aerosol marine grade fire extinguisher

powder

blanket

and co2

I teach safety awareness, and over the two years I've now been doing this I've never had to use and extinguisher in an 'emergency' situation,

Probably the most important thing though is to be fully familiar with your chosen types of fire safety equip, simply having the kit is no substitute for actually having practised with it.

mark

beward of using co2 extinguishers on people - in fact, best not to do it. doing so can lead to the ironic situation of a fire burn being compounded by frostbite. They work great for inanimate objects, but flesh can be severly damaged by improper use of a co2 extinguisher.

ergo : don't use a fire extinguisher on a person or an animal. Most (almost all) fire extinguishers work with pressure to get the extingguishing stuff out --> it will be very cold --> you will very likely get frostburns. For a human torch fire it is best to use a (big) fireblanket, but actually you will be fine if it is a wool or cotton blanket, as long as its tightly around you, and the fabric is dense. A moist/wet blanket is as good as a fireblanket.

Great point Vanize, But I'd rather risk a little frostbite than a third degree burn again any day. Am I incorrect in assuming you'd have to get hit with the CO2 directly for an extended period of time and then not warm up the area for a while before irreparable frostbite occurs? I think the body recovers better form intense cold than intense heat. I've experienced little CO2 blasts from my paintball gun and it's just a nusance.

Thanks for the pointers. ;x

oh, and CO2 is really quite nasty to breathe, as well. i'd be more worried about asphyxiation than i would about frostbite.

i have spoken to a few high level spinners that i know do a good trade in performances for a living, and they have all said that co2 would not bethe way to go, that foam based would be better

i have searched hop this morning, and there was an interesting therad, saying that co2 would not be a good idea, as while it would put out the fire, it would freeze any burns, prob causing more damage and damage your eyes.

Power is supposed to a great irratant also, im not trying to sound like an expert, this is an area i need to work in as well

but just sharing info

My eduaction with CO2 comes from Daniel Walsh with Crique De Flambe. He uses CO2 all the time. He has had to hit some of the Fire Clowns in there circus with CO2. It's not a plesant experience, but the show can go on. No powder in the eyes and your not all wet. A short burst will do the trick. That means inhalation ins't too much of a problem and there isn't enough CO2 in a burst to cause any serious frost bite. Granted Cirque De Flambe does body burns and lots of BIG fire demonstrations. I've never had to use a fire extinguisher on a performer. I think that should be used for close to chatistrophic problems. But a CO2 is what it takes to put out a fuel dump fire.

Im pretty sure even a short burst of CO2 could give you frostbite. That stuff is like, negative temperatures when it comes out. I remember my dad sprayed my mom with a can of compressed air as a joke once, and the liquid junk came out accidentally and she got frostbite right away.. Sure, it healed fine after a day or two but Im sure it wouldnt be the best ON TOP of a burn.. And Im sure it would be more powerful in an extinguisher than a small can of air.

Anyway, I trust the powder ones. Ive seen them put fires out pretty well. And Ive had one squirted into my car as I sat skinning up with a friend so I know its effects on my eyes, nose, mouth, lungs. Yeah, it sucks breathing that stuff in, but Id take that over frostbite any day heh.

Do yourself a favour, don't use co2 on a person, It's particularly hard on the respiratory system, if i remember correctly it's also a neurotransmitter that interfers with the cadio vascular system, it also interfers with something called the trigeminal nerve, you will find susbequently that inhalation even small amounts of co2 has the potential to be a very painful experience, it can also be highly damaging to exposed skin, and isn't particularly useful on large surface areas outside, altough it's very good in confined areas, foams good again fairly iritating if inhaled though, powder is ok, but not to good on people, and very messy,

Bottom line is know your extinguishers, their uses and limitations, and if at all posible, if expensive spend time learning how to use then correctly

mark

if you know how to use a co2 extinguisher on a person perfectly well and have the presence of mind in an emergency to do so, then it is ok. but if you don't it can be extremely dangerous.

co2 in the lungs is ok in of itself - it does trigger the "I gotta breath really bad!" response, but lungs are full of co2 all the time. hat they are not full of is the super dry, super cold air that is co2 coming out of an extinguisher. very cold and dry co2 can easily damage the very delicate bonchials in your lungs. Then agian, your lungs don't really care for foam or chemicals either.

best to use other methods for extingushing flames on people and keep the extingusher aside for fuel accidents and other non-personal situations.

just saying...standard op safety for the human torch scenario is thus:

you get on the ground and roll..you dont panic, you close your eyes...and if you can cover your mouth/nose
your partner (who can respond to this sort of pressure *hint*hint)
makes sure your eyes are closed...and lets loose at the base of whatever part of you is burning...
we use 2 abc extinguishers, and have source of cool running water nearby......have yet to buy a fire blanket and use a large damp (not wet) towel instead

more important than whatever extinguisher you decide to get is your safety, if they dont react when they need to your fed
oh and a side note...if you dont respond properly as well..you end up screwing yourself over...

oh man!!!!!!!

don't ever use CO2 !!!!!!!
you can deepfreeze a person in seconds. the frostbite you get of it is just as bad as burns.

don't ever use powder !!!!!!!
powder is salt, burns can cause open wounds, and to rub salt in those or into your eyes...

a wet towel is bad too:
don't use it on people: the water can evaporate and the steam can cause all kinds of nasty burns on itself
a wet towel is what you use to put out your gear !!

the best thing you can have is a full sized fire blanket in combination with a foam extinguisher
even a bucket of sand is better than CO2 or powder...

I have a fire blankett, i find thats best cos by the time you get the extinguishers uncapped pointed etc it can already be quite messy, i just have a fire blankett adn when i spoin ask someone i trust that if something goes wrong just jump on me with it, a 1m x 1m blankett varies in price whereever i go, i find the cheapest place to go is Ebay (got mine for about a tenner) but in the interest of keeping Malcolm in business buy them from HoP

the thing you should remember as well is to wear natural fabrics like cotton.
don't ever spin fire in something that burns really fast.

then also: I've seen in another thread people mentioning wetting their hair and/or wrapping it in a wet towel
(I will get to this thread next) DON'T DO IT!!!!!!!!!!!!
think of what I said about steam burns....
there already is a really good fire safety thread on HoP. go read it. ALL of it.
and start with this post by Pele, which also describes what happened to some-one who wet his clothes.

well, this is the only point where I have to disagree on with Pele.

for my work I had to get a first-aid / fire rescue lisence and my instructor told me more than anything (when I explained I was a fire-performer) NEVER to use a powder (dry chemical) extinguisher....

in fact: the reason why they are relatively cheap now compared to other extinguishers is because they will be banned within a couple of years here in europe, and the industry knows this, so they are trying to rid of their stock...

they are bad because they the salt burns open wounds and eyes. that same salt will eat away any material it's been sprayed on to (you think you safed your car by extinguishing, but from then on it will be eaten away because you used salt) but also because it sprays out such a big cloud of dust, that in an amergency situation you will not be able to see any escape route.

Well, the Fire-Blanket is the preffered tool. I'd preffer to use the ABC if the Fuel should catch, but I'll invest in another Extinguisher.

my hobby is fire reeearch and i would recomend that use fire ade 2000 as an altern ative to 10 co2 this 16 oz unit shoul d have the same amount of effective ness (firefighting capability)and should be more effecitve than co2 do to will scrub toxic smoke dry chem and foam dont !!! and it willl render the liquid non flammable . with dry chem and foam the fire can reignite!!!!!!!!! this is commonly used in racing industry for soaking down drivers who are on fire!!! the agent i am reecomending will nott damage car parts co2 will damge car part remeber any water based agent such as foam or water can not be used on electirc because foam has water in it and foam conducts more electricity than water!!!!

u can chekc out the agent i have recommend it is called fireade 2000 it can be checked out at fireade source.com

p.s. fire ade has water so dont use on elelectrial fires it could be use on cars fire up to 24 volts be cause not at point of electrical conductivty

remember water + electric = de nergize be fore water or foam.!!!!

thanks again for reading

I'll give it a look. Cheers.

One point I have to make is don’t keep your fire blanket to close to your fuel. I was at a meet in Manchester we where using my blanket to put equipment out after each burn but as someone was dunking there staff they knocked over the paraffin totally soaking the Blanket. (NOT GOOD) this could have been a major incident as not everyone was aware of the spillage and if someone had tried to put stuff out with the paraffin soaked blanket things could have gone horribly horribly wrong.

Ps always have 2 blankets one to put out equipment and one for safety. As you put out equipment on a regular basics the blanket starts to take on a strong small of fuel how dangerous this is I don’t know but I wouldn’t trust it to put a burning person out????

sorry i see u are uk this might not be availible there

i would think not being familar with British agent i would say if there were an agent containing sodium bicabonate the ingrident in baking soda

i am told i think that this agnet would not be corrosive. but u should always conduct your own reasearch