A small fire breaks out near your electrical switchgear. Someone grabs the nearest extinguisher and aims it at the flames. But it's the wrong type - and the situation gets worse, not better.
That scenario plays out because people don't recognise what the colour band on an extinguisher actually means. The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 places a legal duty on Responsible Persons to ensure appropriate firefighting equipment is provided and that staff know how to use it safely. That duty is why understanding fire extinguisher colours in the UK matters. Get fire safety significantly wrong and the FSO 2005 allows for unlimited fines and up to two years' imprisonment for the most serious offences. The Responsible Person carries that liability personally.
Every recommendation below draws on over 45 years of hands-on experience. We supply and service Fire Extinguishers across Essex, London and the South East as a BAFE SP101 registered organisation.
This is an informational overview, not legal advice. Your fire risk assessment and a competent fire safety professional should determine your exact obligations.
Every portable Fire Extinguisher sold in the UK is governed by BS EN 3, the European standard for portable fire extinguishers. Before 1997, UK extinguishers were fully colour-coded. A blue body meant powder. A black body meant CO2. That system changed when the UK adopted BS EN 3.
Today, every portable Fire Extinguisher sold in the UK must have a body that is at least 95% Signal Red (RAL 3000). The colour-coded band covers 5-10% of the body surface area. You won't find all-blue or all-black extinguishers on UK commercial premises.
So how do you tell them apart? A colour-coded band on the upper body identifies the agent inside. That small strip of colour is what your staff need to recognise under pressure, in poor lighting and often at speed.
The simplest to identify. An entirely red extinguisher with no colour band is a water type. It tackles Class A fires only - solids like wood, paper, textiles and plastics.
Never use a standard water extinguisher on flammable liquids, cooking oils or near live electrical equipment. Water conducts electricity.
A versatile choice for premises with both solid-material and flammable liquid risks. Foam covers Class A and Class B fires. It smothers the fuel surface and helps prevent re-ignition.
Like water extinguishers, foam is water-based and conductive. It is not safe for use near live electrical equipment.
Compliance note for Responsible Persons: From 4 July 2025, firefighting foams containing PFOA became prohibited in the UK under persistent organic pollutant regulations. If your foam extinguishers pre-date 2016 or are not clearly labelled as fluorine-free, they require immediate review. The entire unit must be replaced - affected extinguishers cannot simply be refilled with compliant foam. Confirm the status at your next fire risk assessment review, or contact a BAFE SP101 registered contractor.
The standard choice for server rooms, electrical panels and offices with significant IT equipment. CO2 displaces oxygen to suppress the fire and leaves no residue.
One critical limitation: CO2 does not cool effectively. It won't prevent re-ignition on Class A solid-material fires. Once the gas disperses, burning wood or paper can reignite. CO2 is best suited to Class B liquid fires and use near live electrical equipment.
Don't confuse the black band (CO2) with the blue band (powder). That mistake can be dangerous.
Rated for Class A, B and C fires and safe near live electrical equipment. On paper, powder sounds like the universal solution. In practice, BS 5306-8:2023 recommends against specifying powder indoors unless a risk assessment justifies it.
Why? The discharge creates a dense cloud that destroys visibility and causes breathing difficulties. It also leaves significant clean-up. For most indoor commercial settings, powder extinguishers belong outdoors or on vehicles.
Purpose-built for commercial kitchens and anywhere deep fat fryers or cooking oils are present. Wet chemical reacts with burning oil to form a soapy layer. This process, called saponification, cools and seals the fire surface.
It also carries a Class A rating. But it must not be used on flammable liquids (Class B), gas fires, metal fires or near live electrical equipment.
An increasingly popular modern alternative. Water mist extinguishers use de-ionised water dispersed as a fine mist. Models passing the BS EN 3-7 dielectric test to 35 kV are rated for use near live electrical equipment up to 1,000 V. The minimum discharge distance is 1 metre.
Water mist covers multiple fire classes including Class A, B and electrical. Some models are also rated for Class F. It suits mixed-risk environments well - offices, healthcare settings and heritage buildings where residue is a concern. For premises currently using older foam extinguishers that may be affected by the PFOA prohibition, water mist is a strong fluorine-free alternative. If your current provision doesn't include water mist, raise it with your assessor at the next review.
The UK follows the European classification system under BS EN 2. If you've seen American fire safety guidance, reset your expectations. The classes are different.
Class A - Solids: wood, paper, cardboard, textiles, plastics. The most common risk in offices, warehouses, retail and schools.
Class B - Flammable liquids: petrol, diesel, paint, solvents, oil-based products.
Class C - Flammable gases: propane, butane, methane. The standard response is to isolate the supply rather than attack with an extinguisher.
Class D - Combustible metals: lithium, magnesium, sodium. Specialist risk requiring specialist agents. Standard extinguishers won't work and may make things worse.
Class F - Cooking oils and fats: deep fat fryers, commercial catering equipment. Not the same as Class B, despite both involving liquids.
One point catches people out: there is no Class E in UK fire safety. Electrical fires don't get their own class. When an electrical fault starts a fire, the fire is classified by the material burning. Whether an extinguisher is safe to use near live electrics is shown by a spark symbol on the label - not a letter.
The FSO 2005 places clear duties on the Responsible Person - typically the employer, building owner or facilities manager.
Article 9 requires a suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment. Article 13 requires appropriate firefighting equipment where necessary. Article 17 requires that equipment to be maintained in efficient working order.
The FSO does not specify which extinguisher types to install, how many you need or where to put them. It sets outcome-based duties. The specifics come from British Standards - best practice, not legislation.
BS 5306-8:2023 provides the selection and positioning guidance. It recommends a minimum of two Class A rated extinguishers per storey with an aggregate rating of at least 26A. Premises under 50 m² may be covered by a single unit - a provision new to the 2023 edition. These are recommendations under the standard, not statutory requirements.
Maximum travel distances also matter. BS 5306-8:2023 recommends no more than 30 metres from any point to a Class A extinguisher. For Class B or electrical risks, that drops to 10 metres.
Every month your extinguishers sit unchecked or wrongly positioned, your premises remain non-compliant. That exposure sits with you personally as the Responsible Person.
Too many premises rely on whatever extinguishers the previous tenant left behind. That's not compliance - it's guesswork. And guesswork doesn't hold up under an inspection or, worse, during a fire.
Start with your fire risk assessment. What materials are stored? What processes take place? What equipment is in use? The answers determine which combination of extinguisher types you need.
A straightforward office might need water or foam (Class A) plus CO2 for electrical risks. A commercial kitchen needs wet chemical for Class F cooking oil fires. A workshop storing flammable liquids needs foam or powder positioned within 10 metres of the hazard.
Multi-risk premises - and most commercial buildings qualify - need a considered mix. A single extinguisher type rarely covers every credible fire scenario.
Our BAFE SP101 registered company carries out Fire Extinguisher surveys across Essex, London and the South East. We assess your specific risks and recommend provision based on BS 5306-8:2023. The surveyor who visits your site introduces you to the engineer who carries out the work. That continuity is how we've operated for three generations - big enough to cope, small enough to care.
Having the right extinguishers means nothing if people can't find them under pressure.
Wall-mount extinguishers on appropriate brackets. Never leave them free-standing on the floor where they get knocked over, hidden behind equipment or ignored. For units up to 4 kg total mass, mount the handle at roughly 1.5 metres. Heavier units sit lower, at about 1.0 metre.
Place extinguishers along exit routes and near identified hazards. Use signage above mounting points in larger or more complex buildings. The goal: no one searches for an extinguisher in an emergency. They see it, grab it and know what it does.
For kitchens, position the wet chemical extinguisher close enough to reach in seconds. But not so close that a fire at the fryer blocks access to it.
Buying the right extinguishers is step one. Maintaining them is an ongoing legal duty under Article 17 of the FSO 2005. The recognised framework is BS 5306-3, the code of practice for commissioning and maintenance.
This sits with the Responsible Person, not an external engineer. Once a month, confirm each extinguisher is in position, accessible and undamaged. Check the pressure gauge reads green, the tamper seal is intact and the instructions are legible. Record the date and outcome.
Miss a monthly check and you have no documented evidence of compliance. That gap becomes a liability the moment an inspector arrives or an incident occurs.
A full external examination, pressure and weight checks, seal inspection and a fresh service label. BS 5306-3 recommends completion within 12 months of the previous service - with a tolerance of plus or minus one month.
This should be carried out by a competent person. Ideally, that means someone employed by a BAFE SP101 registered organisation. BAFE's website lets you search for registered companies independently.
Blake Fire & Security Systems holds BAFE SP101/ST104 registration (Reg #300159), assessed through NSI Gold - one of the UKAS-accredited certification bodies for this scheme. We're one of very few Essex-based companies holding both NSI Gold and BAFE registration.
Water, foam, powder and wet chemical extinguishers require an extended service at five-year intervals. This involves test discharge, internal inspection and component replacement. At this stage, replacement is often more cost-effective than servicing. Your contractor should advise honestly.
CO2 extinguishers need a hydraulic pressure test overhaul at ten years. No extinguisher of any type should remain in service beyond 20 years from manufacture.
"What a credit your engineers are to your company, whether fire extinguishers, light or alarms. I never have any issues with invoices, booking in visits." - Marian Brown, Office Manager, Wethersfield C of E Primary School
All Blake's engineers working on client sites hold Enhanced DBS clearance. Our specialists focus on their own discipline - we don't send generalists. If we're not qualified to provide a service, we won't offer it.
When selecting a contractor, BAFE SP101 registration is one of the strongest independent signals of competence for portable Fire Extinguisher servicing. It means the organisation has been independently assessed against BS 5306-3 and BS 5306-8 by a UKAS-accredited certification body - not just self-declared.
Ask these questions before signing a contract:
Which BAFE scheme are you registered under, and can you provide your registration number? A credible company answers immediately. Ours is 300159.
Will the same engineer service our extinguishers each visit? Continuity matters. Our surveyor introduces you to the engineer carrying out the work - so you know who's on site before they arrive.
Do you cover Fire Alarms, Emergency Lighting and Fire Doors as well? A single provider across fire safety disciplines reduces contractor visits and simplifies management. Blake's covers all four - each through the relevant accreditation scheme.
Under BS EN 3, every fire extinguisher in the UK must have a body that is at least 95% signal red. A colour-coded band near the top identifies the agent inside. Red means water, cream means foam, black means CO2, blue means dry powder, yellow means wet chemical and white means water mist. This system replaced the old all-over colour coding in 1997 when BS EN 3 was adopted across Europe.
The right extinguisher depends on the fire classes present in your building. BS EN 2 defines the classes: Class A covers solid materials, Class B covers flammable liquids, Class F covers cooking oils. There is no Class E in UK law - electrical fires are addressed by choosing an extinguisher safe for use near live equipment, such as CO2 or water mist. A fire risk assessment under the FSO 2005 will establish which classes apply to your premises.
The FSO 2005 places three obligations on Responsible Persons. Article 9 requires a fire risk assessment. Article 13 requires appropriate firefighting equipment. Article 17 requires that equipment to be maintained in efficient working order. Non-compliance can result in prohibition notices, unlimited fines or prosecution.
BS 5306-3 sets out a four-level maintenance regime. Monthly visual checks are carried out in-house. Annual service must be completed by a competent person. A five-year extended service applies to water, foam and wet chemical extinguishers. A ten-year overhaul applies to CO2 types. No extinguisher should remain in service beyond 20 years from manufacture.
BAFE SP101 is a third-party certification scheme for organisations that supply, install and maintain portable fire extinguishers. Registration requires assessment against a defined competence standard and is independently audited. There is no legal requirement for your contractor to hold SP101 registration, but it is one of the strongest signals that their engineers are assessed against BS 5306-3 and BS 5306-8.
BS 5306-8:2023 recommends that travel distance from any point to the nearest Class A extinguisher should not exceed 30 metres. For Class B risks, that reduces to 10 metres. Extinguishers should be wall-mounted on brackets at a height that places the handle no higher than 1.5 metres for lighter units. They must be sited near exits or escape routes and never stored in locked rooms or behind obstructions.
Three steps for any Responsible Person reviewing their provision:
Check your extinguisher types against actual risks. Compare what's on the wall to the fire risks in your current assessment. Not what came with the building - what the assessment says you need now. If you have foam extinguishers, check they comply with the PFOA prohibition.
Verify your maintenance contractor's credentials. Confirm BAFE SP101 registration. Ask when your units are due for extended service or CO2 overhaul. Check whether monthly visual inspections are being recorded.
Get a professional survey if anything is unclear. A BAFE SP101 registered company can assess your provision against BS 5306-8:2023 and identify gaps in types, ratings, quantities or positioning.
Blake Fire & Security Systems has protected commercial premises across Essex, London and the South East for over 45 years. As a family-run, BAFE SP101 registered organisation, we provide Fire Extinguisher supply, servicing and maintenance backed by three generations of hands-on knowledge.
Call us on 01702 447800 or use our online enquiry form to arrange a survey.
