What Do Fire Extinguisher Colours Mean?
What Do Fire Extinguisher Colours Mean?
In the event of a fire, you need the correctly labelled fire extinguisher. Why? Fire extinguisher colours give a clear visual what type of flame and fuel that specific canister extinguishes. Using the incorrect extinguisher type on a fire can mean flame inertia or worse, a fire that rages out of control.
Each canister is coloured in ‘Signal Red’ with the relevant category band and they help users choose the right one in a smoky, potentially panicked space. The different colour codes of fire extinguishers are red, cream, blue, black, yellow, and green. All quell a particular fire or fuel type.
- Red equals water and is for Class A combustible object fires.
- Cream is foam-based and for Class B combustible liquid fires.
- Blue is dry powder and for Class A, B, C & D blazes. Class C includes flammable gases. Class D is combustible metals.
- Carbon dioxide (CO2) is primarily for electrical fires.
- Wet chemical is coloured yellow. These are for oil-based fires categorised under Class F.
- Green is specifically for Lithium-ion battery fires, which no other canister type can quell.
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How are fire extinguishers colour coded?
Fire extinguisher colours are defined by the type of fire and fuel source they extinguish. Each canister’s internal mixture is categorised and created for a specific type of blaze, ensuring efficient, effective, and safe fire suppression.
What are the colours of fire extinguishers? Let’s start by answering what do blue-coded fire extinguishers contain?
What is a blue coded fire extinguisher?
What do fire extinguishers with a blue colour band contain? The simple answer is dry powder. These types are sometimes called ‘ABC extinguishers’ because they can suppress flames in Class A, B, and C. Their internal mixture is a challenge to clean, so they shouldn’t be used in enclosed spaces.
Special dry powder fire extinguishers can even suppress Class D fires fuelled by combustible metals.
Fire type
- Class A combustible materials like paper, wood, coal, and cardboard
- Class B flammable liquids like diesel, turpentine, paint and petrol
- Class C flammable gases like butane & methane
- Class D combustible metals when a specialist dry powder extinguisher is used
- Electrical equipment fires of up to 1000v
Never use on
- Enclosed spaces like homes and offices
- Electrical fires over 1000v
- Oil-based flames
Use in
- Environments with welding or flame-cutting present
- Buildings with big boiler rooms
- Industrial settings
- Workshops
- Forecourts
- Garages
What is a red coded fire extinguisher?
Red coded canisters are water fire extinguishers and are the most common out of all fire extinguisher colours due to their cost-effectiveness. They quell Class A fires, which are defined as blazes fuelled by combustible materials like coal and cardboard.
You’ll see them regularly in public places like hotels and hospitals. Liquid water is the primary suppressant in this canister, meaning this type should never be used on electrical fires, as water conducts electricity. Potentially resulting in a more devastating blaze. Place them in hallways, near exits, on each floor, and next to Class A fuel sources.
If you want to equip your home with the right fire extinguisher, click the link.
Fire type
- Class A combustible materials which include coal, wood, paper, cardboard, fabrics, and textiles
Never use on
- Electrical fires or equipment due to the risk of electrocution
- Class B flammable liquid fires could be spread further
- Class C flammable gas fires might be made worse
- Class D combustible metals like magnesium could result in a violent reaction
- Class F cooking fat or oils as water may splash the fuel source and spread the fire
Use in
- Buildings made of wood or other organic materials
- Places storing combustible Class A ignitors
- Schools or nurseries
- Domestic dwellings
- Warehouses
- Hospitals
- Offices
- Hotels
What is a cream coded fire extinguisher?
How are fire extinguishers colour coded? It’s always by their internal mixture and what fire type they quell. As such, cream is the colour for foam fire extinguishers.
Foam canisters extinguish Class B fires that are ignited and fueled by flammable liquids like paint and petrol. Almost as common as water fire extinguishers, cream coloured containers also suppress Class A fires. You’ll find them in shops and schools. The foam is safe for humans.
You usually locate these in the same places as red fire extinguishers and flammable liquids.
Fire type
- Class A combustible materials like coal, cardboard, wood, paper, fabrics, and textiles
- Class B flammable liquids like paint, petrol, oil, diesel, and turpentine
Never use on
- Class C flammable gas fires as they are ineffective and might worsen the blaze
- Electrical fires may see further damage to electrical appliances
- Class F fires, based in cooking oils and fat, could see potential splatter and the fire becoming more dangerous
Use in
- Places that store flammable liquids
- Schools or nurseries
- Domestic dwellings
- Warehouse
- Hospitals
- Factories
- Garages
- Offices
- Hotels
What is a black coded fire extinguisher?
So far, we’ve answered 3 fire extinguisher colours and their uses and when not to use them. Next up are black labelled canisters, which are carbon dioxide (CO2) fire extinguishers. CO2 extinguishers have a special place amongst fire suppressants as they can quell electrical based flames, with specific canisters extinguishing flames up to 10,000 volts.
You can use them in Class B fires, too. Usually, you’ll find them in server rooms or laboratories. They should be positioned near potential fire risks, like machinery or electrical appliances.
Fire type
- Class B flammable liquid fires fueled by petrol, paint, diesel, and turps
- Electrical fires on up to 10,000v. This is dependent on your power strength and type of black label canister you have. Always check the manufacturer’s guidelines.
Never use on
- Class A combustible materials as they’re ineffective
- Class C flammable gases as it might intensify the blaze
- On Class D combustible metal flames, the CO2 extinguisher won’t work or might cause a worse reaction
- Class F fires, for cooking oils and fats, could spread or lack the ability to suppress the flames
- Outdoors, CO2 quickly disperses into the environment
- Improperly ventilated internal spaces as CO2 can cause harm to humans
Use in
- Offices with excessive electrical equipment
- Places storing flammable liquids
- Computer and server rooms
- Mechanical rooms
- Laboratories
- Hospitals
- Schools
- Shops
What is a yellow coded fire extinguisher?
Yellow fire extinguishers are wet chemical fire extinguishers and they are specifically designed to combat Class F fires, those ignited and fuelled by fats and cooking oils. These types of fires tend to occur in commercial kitchens, with the fire extinguisher smothering the oil in a soapy foam.
Technically, you can use yellow fire extinguishers for Class A blazes, but usually water extinguishers are employed due to their cost. They’re located where cooking oil and fat risk ignition.
Fire types
- Class A combustible material fires
- Uniquely Class F fires. These comprise cooking fats and oils at high temperatures.
Never use on
- Class B flammable liquids because they may spread or be unable to seal the fire
- Class C flammable gases as yellow fire extinguishers are ineffective against this type of blaze
- Class D combustible metals as the canister’s chemical solution may intensify the incineration
- Electrical fires as they may not work or might worsen the fire
Use in
- Places with cooking facilities using oils & fats
- Schools, colleges, and university cafeterias
- Food processing plants
- Fast food businesses
- Commercial kitchens
- Catering companies
- Care homes
- Restaurants
- Food trucks
- Hospitals
- Hotels
What is a green coded fire extinguisher?
Labeled green and white and not to be confused with the banned green canisters of yesteryear, AVD and lithium-ion battery fire extinguishers are unique in the fires they suppress.
Green coded fire extinguishers were created specifically to quell fires started by lithium-ion batteries, with the AVD standing for Aqueous Vermiculite Dispersion. Because of the battery’s nature, this blaze spans Classes A, B, and C and they can be incredibly challenging to contain and extinguish due to their fast spread and faster ignition.
Fire type
- Class A fires, but it might be unnecessary
- Uniquely, lithium-ion battery fires.
Never use on
- Class D combustible metals as the AVD solution might fail to smother or may violently intensify the fire
- Blazes which contain free lithium metal as the extinguisher will increase the fire's volatility
Use in
- Warehouses with lithium-ion batteries stocked or devices containing them
- Workshops with lithium-ion battery-powered electronic appliances
- Construction sites with battery-powered tools
- Factories which produce lithium-ion batteries
- Offices with devices powered by them
- Laboratories working on lithium-ion
- Electronic waste recycling facilities
- Electric vehicle charge stations
- Energy storage facilities
- Server rooms
- Data centres
Key considerations when using different colour-coded fire extinguishers
Now you know each fire is classified by the fuel source, from combustible materials to flammable liquids, gases, lithium-ion batteries and more. Ranging from Class A to Class F, each blaze needs a specific canister-held solution to suppress it.
Fire extinguisher colours are red for water, cream for foam, blue for dry powder, black for CO2, yellow for wet chemicals, and green and white for AVD.
Always remember to get a regular check-up on your fire extinguisher, as contents can expire. Plus, there are other fire safety precautions you can implement.