Types of Fire Extinguishers in Australia and the UK

Types of Fire Extinguishers in Australia and the UK

There are several different types of fire extinguisher commonly seen in the home and the workplace, and knowing the difference between them (particularly in an emergency situation where you may not have time to read the label), can be tricky.

When looking at a fire extinguisher, how do you tell one apart from another? Since 1997, fire extinguishers are all coloured red, with a band of another colour. Colours are used so if there is a fire, you should be able to choose the right extinguisher to fight the fire.

So what colours are used to tell the different types of extinguisher apart? The table below gives a basic breakdown of the most common ones:

As you can see, with a few exceptions, the system used in both the UK and Australia (and also in some other countries) is very similar. Now you know the different colours used to identify each type, but that information is almost useless unless you also know what type of fire each extinguisher is used for.

The UK recognises five separate types of fire, and Australia recognises six, but the classification system is only slightly different in both countries. In the UK, fires are classified in categories A-D and F, in Australia it is A-F. Each class is named and described below.

Class E for electrical appliances is no longer used in the European classification as it is noted that once an electrical supply has been turned off, a fire of that type falls into another category.

So in which situations should each type of fire extinguisher be used? Most of them can be used across several different types, as described in more detail below.

Most extinguishers on the market can be used to fight Class A types of fire involving solid combustibles. Water, Foam and Dry Powder extinguishers can all be recommended, and sometimes Carbon Dioxide and Wet Chemical extinguishers can also be used. In Australia, vaporising liquid extinguishers can also be used.

Class B fires are broken down into two different types – those that can be mixed with water, and those that cannot. Fires where the flammable material can be mixed with water (such as alcohol or acetone) can be fought with Dry Powder, Foam and Carbon Dioxide extinguishers. Fires where the material cannot be mixed with water (such as petrol, diesel, and oil) require Dry Powder or Foam.

Class C fires involving gases are best extinguished by Dry Powder, and vaporising liquid extinguishers in Australia.

Class D fires can be awkward to deal with as flammable metals require the use of specialist dry powder extinguishers designed specifically for that use.

Class E fires (in Australia only) can be extinguished by dry powder, carbon dioxide or vaporising liquid extinguishers.

And finally, class F fires require specialist Wet Chemical fire extinguishers which are also designed specifically for that fire situation.

So there we have it, each fire extinguisher type broken down into how they can be told apart and what situations they can be used for. If ever in doubt, check the label on the canister before using as some types are only compatible with some fires.

For more information on fire extinguishers and other fire safety topics visit Fire Safety Info.