Benefits of the Ultimex™ range of extinguishers include;
- Guaranteed for ten years against material and manufacturing defects (Subject to terms and conditions).
- Water, foam and powder units are fitted with the pressure gauge to provide instant health status indication.
- Polyester coated to add extra protection to withstand extreme temperatures, dirty environments and UV degradation.
- CE marked and Kite Mark Certified.
- Easy to understand instructions with well-designed clear colour coded flash label for each extinguishant type
- Fitted with robust plastic skirts on all free-standing water, foam and powder units – Skirt protects the base of extinguisher from corrosion.
Good Practice and BS Design Recommendations
In order to comply with good practice, firefighting equipment installations should comply with BS5306 (Fire extinguishing installations and equipment on premises – Part 8: Selection and installation of portable fire extinguishers – Code of practice).
It should not be necessary to travel more than 30 metres to reach the nearest Class ‘A’ rated appliance. Class ‘A’ fire risks are present in most premises and includes carbonaceous materials such as wood, paper and textiles. Extinguishers with a Class ‘A’ fire rating include water, foam and dry powder.
Class ‘A’ fire extinguishers should be positioned at storey exits and on landings at upper floor levels.
Additional appropriate fire extinguishers should be proved to cover perceived ‘Higher Risk’ areas such as kitchens and plant rooms.
Extinguishant Types
Water is suitable for use only on ‘Class A’ risks and is not suitable for direct use on fires involving any live electrical source. Foam spray extinguishers are suitable for fires involving ‘Class A and B’ risks. ‘Class B’ risks are fires involving flammable liquids. In addition, foam spray is safe for accidental discharge onto fires involving live electrical equipment.
Dry powder extinguishers are described as multi-purpose and are safe for use on ‘Class A, Class B and Class C’ risks. ‘Class C’ risks are fires involving flammable gases. Dry powder is safe for direct discharge onto fires involving live electrical equipment. It should be noted that dry powder is not suitable for confined spaces such as offices and corridors etc. as it can impair visibility following discharge. In addition, dry powder is messy.
Specialist powder fire extinguishers include M28 powder which is highly effective against metal fires, including fires caused by sodium, magnesium and aluminium when in the form of powder or swarf, and L2 powder which is suitable for fires involving lithium in addition to the aforementioned metals.
CO² is a clean extinguishant suitable for ‘Class B’ risks. CO2 is ideal for the protection of sophisticated electrical equipment such as computers, machinery, electrical plant etc. CO2 extinguishers do not leave any residue following discharge.
Wet chemical is suitable for “Class F” risks and has been developed specifically to combat fires involving deep fat frying equipment. Wet Chemical extinguishers are widely installed in commercial kitchen environments.
Ongoing User Maintenance
It is important that all equipment locations are documented and numbered to ensure that extinguishers remain in the correct location. A monthly inspection must be carried out to ensure that appliances are correctly positioned in all locations with tamper seals intact and pressure gauges (where fitted) registering ‘in the green’.
