What item in your retail properties do you buy hoping you never use it? The answer is of course fire extinguishers. They are an essential item in keeping your retail locations compliant with fire regulations. If you were to find a fire starting in one of you properties, then grabbing an extinguisher would be the second action you would think of taking. But are your fire extinguishers about to be banned? Come July, that might happen.
The 5 Types of Fire Extinguishers
Fire extinguishers come in five guises: water, CO2, dry powder, wet chemical, and AFFF. This last type is easily to spot by a cream-coloured label on the extinguisher and the word FOAM. It works by something a fire, creating a barrier that removes oxygen and cools down the material that is ablaze.
An active ingredient within AFFF extinguishers is a synthetic chemical called perfluorooctanoic acid (PFAO). While this is an effective chemical in dealing with fires, PFOA is also bad for the environment. The two issues with PFOA are that it does not break down easily over time and can build up in plants and animals exposed to it. For humans, PFOA can harm your immune system.
For that reason, fire extinguishers containing PFOA need to be replaced by 4th July 2025. A retail property using these fire extinguishers after that date will risk the owner being fined and fire safety certification withdrawn.
Not Just PFOA Too…
Looking ahead, PFAO is part of a family of chemicals called PFAS. These have been used in a wide variety of products for over 80 years, from cookware to food wrappers. Indeed, a study of bottled water across Europe, Asia and the US found PFAS chemicals in 63% of the samples. PFAS can be found in multi-class (C, B, and F Class) fire extinguishers. As these are used for dealing with fires containing textiles, cooking oils, paper and wood, you may have one or more of these type of extinguisher too.
How Do You Spot A PFAO Fire Extinguisher?
The first check you can make is to visually inspect your fire extinguishers. For any that are stated as foam, consult with the supplier if they can verify it contains PFOA, PFOS or C8. If the extinguisher is old, you should assume it contains PFOA.
Avoid Non-Compliance With PFAO
If you spot a fire extinguisher that contains PFAO, or cannot say for sure that your extinguishers will be compliant after the July deadline, contact Store Maintenance for help. Through our national network of fire safety professionals we can organise a fast assessment of your fire extinguishers. Any that are not compliant can be replaced. This could be during your next scheduled inspection, or at any point in the near future.
Stay Safe With Fire Safety From Store Maintenance
At Store Maintenance we are committed to helping you keep your retail properties a safe and welcoming place to work and visit. So if you are not sure if your fire extinguishers are about to be banned, contact us now for advice and help.
