Recommendations and regulations governing fire extinguishers in laboratories and preparation rooms include the following:
- ABC fire extinguishers (multipurpose dry chemical extinguishers) are preferable to water or CO2 for laboratory use.
- Fire extinguishers should be mounted on the wall near the exit.
- Fire extinguishers should be checked periodically by the custodial department and noted on the tag.
- Fire extinguishers are now required to be inspected by an outside agency yearly and noted on the tag. This is the custodian’s responsibility.
- Class D (yellow) should be available if there are active metals present.
If you don’t have an ABC fire extinguisher in your labs or prep rooms notify your assistant principal (in writing) of the location of the rooms where the extinguishers are needed.
Use this extinguisher classification chart and see this fire extinguisher comparison for more information.