Legal foundation
What are the workplace fire extinguisher requirements?
Article 13 requires premises to be equipped, to the extent appropriate, with firefighting equipment where necessary to safeguard people. Non-automatic equipment must be easily accessible, simple to use and indicated by signs.
Appropriateness must take account of premises size and use, equipment, materials and maximum occupancy. Article 17 requires fire-safety facilities, equipment and devices to be subject to a suitable system of maintenance and kept in efficient working order and good repair.
Risk-based selection
Choose extinguishers for the fire, people and environment
Start with credible fire classes and the people expected to respond. The wrong medium can be ineffective or dangerous. Consider electrical equipment, cooking oils, flammable liquids, metals, cold conditions, contamination risk and whether discharge could obscure escape or harm occupants.
BS 5306-8:2023 is the current code of practice for selection and positioning of portable extinguishers. It supports competent decisions but remains a standard, not the source of the legal duty.
| Risk or fire class | Selection question |
|---|---|
| Ordinary solid combustibles | What medium and rating suit the floor area, fuel and likely users? |
| Live electrical equipment | Can power be isolated and what non-conductive medium is appropriate? |
| Flammable liquids | Could the medium spread the fuel and what application training is needed? |
| Cooking oils and fats | Is suitable wet-chemical protection and kitchen shutdown provided? |
| Metal or specialist process | Does the hazard require a specialist agent and instruction? |
| Lithium-ion batteries | What prevention, isolation and emergency strategy has competent assessment established? |
Position and access
Where should extinguishers be located?
Equipment should be readily accessible without requiring someone to move towards unacceptable danger. Positioning commonly considers escape routes, exits, changes of direction and specific hazards, while avoiding obstruction, concealment or avoidable damage.
Signs are needed where necessary to indicate non-automatic equipment. A cabinet or recess may make directional identification particularly important. The FRA should also consider wheelchair users, tampering risk and public access.
- Visible or clearly signed from the approach route
- Accessible without keys or obstruction in an emergency
- Suitable for the nearby hazard without encouraging unsafe travel
- Mounted or supported securely and protected from damage
- Consistent location where possible
- Not used to prop doors or obstruct the escape route
Maintenance
Routine checks, annual servicing and extended work
Responsible-person checks should confirm equipment remains in place, accessible, apparently undamaged and within the planned service regime. Any discharge, damage, pressure loss or missing seal should be escalated promptly.
Competent maintenance is normally organised at least annually under recognised BS 5306 practice, with additional extended service or overhaul rules depending on the extinguisher. “Annual” is a standards-based service norm, not wording that appears as a universal date in the Fire Safety Order. Follow the current standard and manufacturer instructions.
- Record location and unique equipment identity
- Check accessibility, condition, pressure indication and tamper evidence
- Arrange competent service at the specified interval
- Replace or recharge used and defective equipment promptly
- Review provision after changes to layout, use or hazards
- Use licensed disposal routes rather than general waste
Safe use
An extinguisher is not an instruction to take personal risk
The priority is to raise the alarm, evacuate and call the fire and rescue service. Staff expected to use equipment need suitable instruction and should only tackle a small fire where they have a safe escape route and conditions remain safe.
The emergency plan should define who, if anyone, is expected to use extinguishers and when to withdraw. Do not rely on portable equipment to compensate for inadequate detection, escape or prevention.