Download the NFPA Fire Extinguisher Fact Sheet to Determine If You Are Meeting Occupancy Requirements

With businesses pivoting to meet different building configurations due to COVID, it is a good time to revisit fire extinguisher location and type requirements to ensure that you are compliant with what code officials are enforcing.

Having the right type of fire extinguisher in the right place can help quell a fire before the fire department arrives, if appropriate. Two key considerations for fire extinguishers are accessibility and visibility.  Extinguishers should be readily accessible along a normal travel path and should be visible; and if that is not possible, signage should indicate where to locate an extinguisher. Additionally, portable extinguishers must meet one of five classes based on the use of the extinguisher and the location requirements defined by NFPA 10 Standard for Portable Fire Extinguishers.

NFPA 1 Fire Code, mandates the presence of fire extinguishers for most occupancies, while other codes, such as NFPA 101 Life Safety Code, may have different requirements depending on their scope.  All applicable codes should be reviewed to determine if a fire extinguisher is required in your facility, and where multiple codes are used, the most restrictive should be applied.

To refresh your memory of fire extinguisher requirements or to learn if you are compliant given any recently revised occupancy needs, download the NFPA Fire Extinguisher Fact Sheet today.