If you own or manage a nursing home, one of the safety measures you must have in place in case of a fire outbreak is a fire extinguisher.
As a matter of fact, your facility will not get approval from the regulatory authority in your county, city, or state if you don’t have fire safety measures in place.
There are different types of fire extinguishers, and they are designed for different purposes. So in case you own a nursing home and you are looking for a suitable fire extinguisher to install in your nursing home, then you may want to continue reading this article.
Best Type of Fire Extinguisher for Nursing Home
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ABC or Multi-Purpose Dry Chemical Portable Fire Extinguisher
An ABC or Multi-Purpose Dry Chemical portable fire extinguisher is useful for Class A, B, and C fires. These units can be used on wood, paper, cloth, trash, flammable liquids, and energized electrical equipment. The dry chemical in the units is monoammonium phosphate.
ABC of Fire Extinguisher represents the classification of fire extinguishers by the type of fires they can put out; A – Ordinary combustibles, C – Electrical equipment, B – Burning liquids and gases, and D – Metal Fires.
That is why they are suitable for fires involving ordinary combustibles, flammable liquids, and electrical equipment, providing versatile coverage in a nursing home setting.
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Water Mist Fire Extinguisher
Water mist fire extinguishers or systems discharge clean, deionized water through unique spray nozzles that form a mist curtain that is non-conductive and non-toxic.
The water droplets are so tiny that they can cool and suffocate a fire without damaging the protected area and contents. The reason why the Water Mist Fire Extinguisher is good for a nursing home facility is that it is effective in combating Class A fires without causing damage to electronic equipment.
This ensures a safer environment, especially in areas with sensitive devices, providing versatile and reliable fire protection for residents and staff.
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CO2 (Carbon Dioxide) Fire Extinguisher
This is one of the most popular fire extinguishers you can see around buildings and facilities. CO2s are designed for Class B and C (flammable liquid and electrical) fires only.
Carbon Dioxide is a non-flammable gas that extinguishes fire by displacing oxygen or taking away the oxygen element of the fire triangle. Carbon Dioxide extinguishers are filled with non-flammable carbon dioxide gas under extreme pressure.
You can recognize a CO2 extinguisher by its hard horn and lack of pressure gauge. The pressure in the cylinder is so great that when you use one of these extinguishers, bits of dry ice may shoot out the horn.
The CO2 (Carbon Dioxide) Fire Extinguisher is ideal for nursing homes due to its effectiveness against flammable liquid (Class B) and electrical (Class C) fires.
It leaves no residue, minimizing damage to sensitive equipment and ensuring a safe and efficient means of fire suppression in diverse environments.
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K-Class Fire Extinguisher (Wet Chemical)
Wet Chemical or K-Class portable fire extinguishers contain a potassium acetate-based agent and are specifically used to combat restaurant kitchen hazards without leaving a residue.
Wet Chemical or K-Class portable fire extinguishers are used to supplement existing automatic cooking equipment and kitchen suppression systems.
Wet Chemical or K-Class portable fire extinguishers are specifically designed for kitchen fires (Class K), which may occur in nursing home facilities, providing effective suppression for cooking oil and grease fires.
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Clean Agent FS 49 C2 Fire Extinguisher
Clean agent FS 49 C2 is an environmentally engineered, human-safe, fast-acting Clean Agent fire extinguishing gas for gaseous fire suppression installed in a suited fire suppression system.
The gas consists of tetrafluoro ethane, pentafluoro ethane, and carbon dioxide. FS 49 C2 maintains breathable concentrations of oxygen in the air.
It can extinguish a fire with less danger to people in the room at extinguishing concentrations in contrast to a pure carbon dioxide-based fire suppression system that is deadly to humans when released in extinguishing amounts.
The Clean Agent FS 49 C2 Fire Extinguisher is ideal for nursing homes, especially when it comes to addressing Class B and Class C fires. It does that without leaving residue.
Best Places to Keep Fire Extinguishers in a Nursing Home
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Kitchen Areas
The kitchen area is likely the area with the highest potential of starting a fire in a nursing home. The fact that a fire is used for cooking in the kitchen means that if the fire source is not well handled, or if anything goes wrong, it can result in a fire outbreak.
You should consider strategically placing K-Class fire extinguishers in easy-to-locate locations within the kitchen since they are specifically designed for kitchen fires involving cooking oils and grease.
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Hallways and Common Areas
When you install fire extinguishers in easily accessible locations along hallways and common areas it will make it easier for quick response in case of fire outbreak or emergencies in the nursing home.
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Resident Rooms
You may also want to consider placing compact fire extinguishers in designated areas within resident rooms. Doing this will make the fire extinguishers easily accessible for both residents and staff in case of a small localized fire within the room.
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Electrical Rooms and Offices
The fact that electrical rooms are subjected to spark fires means that you must not fail to install fire extinguishers in areas with electrical equipment, such as electrical rooms and offices.
You may want to consider installing CO2 or clean agent extinguishers in your electrical rooms and offices because they are suitable for Class C fires involving electrical equipment.
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Exit Points and Stairwells
The truth is that strategically placing fire extinguishers in exit points and stairwells of a nursing home is very important for residents’ safety. This is so because these locations serve as critical pathways during evacuations.
In the event of a fire, having extinguishers readily available ensures immediate access to firefighting equipment, potentially containing small fires and aiding in a swift evacuation.
This proactive approach enhances overall emergency preparedness, contributing to the well-being and protection of residents and staff in a nursing home setting.