Using Fire Extinguishers
Portable fire extinguishers apply an extinguishing agent that will either:
- cool burning fuel,
- displace or remove oxygen, or
- stop the chemical reaction so a fire cannot continue to burn.
All portable fire extinguishers must be approved by a nationally recognized testing laboratory to verify compliance with applicable standards.
All portable fire extinguishers must be approved by a nationally recognized testing laboratory to verify their compliance with applicable standards. Equipment that passes the laboratory's tests are labeled and given an alpha-numeric classification based on the type and size of fire they will be extinguishing.
Operating a portable fire extinguisher is not hard, but it's not a simple point-and-shoot procedure either. In the next few sections, we'll explain the various classes of fires, extinguishers ratings, and the PASS procedure for using extinguishers.
Knowledge Check Choose the best answer for the question.
5-3. Portable fire extinguishers may be used to ________.
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