Several times this year we have fielded calls from clients relating to the removal of fire extinguishers from buildings.

Occasionally the claim is that the Fire Service is promoting this saying that people should just get out and call the Fire Service. The real motivations for removal may include cost cutting, health and safety concerns or simply misunderstanding the benefits that extinguishers provide in the workplace.

While the Fire Service does consider safety as paramount, they do not necessarily advocate that fire extinguishers should be removed from buildings. Fire extinguishers are amongst the many tools that can be employed to ensure that what may start as a small fire, doesn’t unnecessarily become a large fire.

Any attempts to extinguish fires should only be undertaken by trained people once the alarm has been raised and they have considered their own safety.

Due consideration should also be given to the risk of no fire protection following an earthquake similar to those experienced in Canterbury, should portable extinguishers be removed. There is no guarantee that sprinklers or hose reels will work if reticulated supplies go down.

If you have questions relating to extinguishers in buildings or want to ensure your staff are trained to use then if needed then  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .