Fire Extinguishers

Portable fire fighting equipment are designed to provide the user with an appliance to attend a small fire during its initial stage. When deciding to attack a fire, always designate another person to raise the alarm and obtain a back-up fire extinguisher. Portable fire extinguishers are provided in all University buildings and vehicles for use by University staff members. Training in the use of these fire extinguishers is available to all staff.

There are several types of fire extinguishers.

Extinguisher	Description
	Water Red in colour, it contains nine litres of water under pressure and is to be used in an upright position. It is designed for use on carbonaceous solids such as wood, paper, rubbish or textiles, and has a discharge period of 60 - 100 seconds. Water extinguishers are unsuitable for flammable liquid fires. This extinguishers must never be used on fires involving live electrical equipment.
	Foam Blue in colour, it contains nine litres of an aqueous film-forming foam additive, and is to be used in an upright position. It is designed for use on flammable liquid fires such as petrol, oils and paint and has a discharge period of 40 - 90 seconds. This extinguishers must never be used on fires involving live electrical equipment.
	Carbon Dioxide Red in colour with a black band, it is designed for use on fires involving flammable liquids and live electrical equipment. The discharge period depends on the size of the extinguisher.
	Dry Chemical Red in colour with a white band, it contains a bi-carbonate based powder and is suitable for fires involving flammable liquids and live electrical equipment. The discharge period depends on the size of the extinguisher.
	Wet Chemical Gold in colour, it has a liquid alkaline extinguishing agent, and is specifically designed for use in kitchens on deep fryer fires involving fat and cooking oil. This extinguishers must never be used on fires involving live electrical equipment.

BCF (halon) Yellow in colour. These extinguishers have been withdrawn in accordance with environmental guidelines since 1 January 1997. Please return any existing units to Maintenance.

Maintenance and Servicing

The majority of fire extinguishers on all campuses are serviced by a qualified contractor arranged by our University Maintenance Department. All requests for servicing or problems with these items should be forwarded to maintenance via your normal channels. Most fire extinguishers are serviced/checked twice per year as per AS 1851.

Departments are required to arrange the servicing of the fire extinguishers fitted in their vehicles through the current contractor used by the University Maintenance. It is recommended that servicing be carried out during the inspection visit in October of each year. Departments can obtain confirmation of the onsite inspection dates from Maintenance Department. The cost of servicing the fire extinguishers installed in motor vehicles will be charged to Departments.