Common Fire Extinguishers Mistakes

1. Not knowing where they are located within your workplace.
2. Not knowing the type of fire they can/can't be used on.
3. Deciding to tackle the fire before raising the alarm/asking a colleague to do so.
4. Deciding to tackle the fire when the situation is too dangerous (too smoky/too big).
5. Not testing the extinguisher immediately prior to use (to see if it works and to demonstrate throw of extinguishing agent/characteristics e.g noise of a CO₂).
6. Testing the extinguisher in the risk area and not in a safe area e.g corridor outside door to room.
7. Not maintaining a position of egress between the exit route and fire.
8. Using more than 1 extinguisher on a fire.
9. Not aiming/sweeping extinguishing medium at the seat/base of the fire.
10. Stopping use of extinguisher too early allowing fire to smoulder/reignite.
11. Forgetting how to use extinguisher.
12. Forgetting characteristics of certain extinguishers e.g. frosting of CO₂ discharge nozzle, asphyxiating affect of CO₂, electrical conductivity of water/foam extinguishers, effect of water on a cooking oil fire etc.