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Fire
Extinguisher Safety
There are four classes of fires. Below
are listed the different classes of fuels for fires and types of
extinguishers to be used on the fires.
Class A fires involve ordinary combustible
materials such as wood, cloth, paper, rubber, and many plastics.
Water is used to cool or quench the burning material its ignition
temperature.
Class B fires involve flammable and combustible
liquids and gases such as gasoline, oil, lacquer, paint, mineral
spirits, and alcohol. The smothering or blanketing effect of oxygen
exclusion is most effective for extinguishment and also helps reduce
the production of additional vapors.
Class C fires are fires involving energized
electrical equipment. Household appliances, computers, transformers,
and overhead transmission lines are examples. These fires can
sometimes be controlled by a non-conducting extinguishing agent such
as halon, dry chemical, carbon dioxide.
Class D fire involves combustible metals such as
aluminum, magnesium, titanium, zirconium, sodium, and potassium. These
materials are particularly hazardous in their powdered form. No
single agent effectively controls fires in all combustible metals.
Special extinguishing agents are available.
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