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National Fire Safety Month: How To Handle Your Household Fire Extinguisher

NORTHBROOK, Ill., - Sept. 16, 2004 - In the right hands, a household fire extinguisher can save lives and protect property. However, safety experts note that consumers need to know fire extinguisher limitations as well as when and how to use them.

October, National Fire Safety Month, is an appropriate time to review your home fire safety plans, including the use of fire extinguishers.

"Every home should have at least one fire extinguisher, but you need the right type and you must know when and how to use it," says John Drengenberg, manager of Consumer Affairs at Underwriters Laboratories Inc (UL), a not-for-profit product safety testing organization.

"Too often people are injured when trying to control a fire with a household fire extinguisher," he notes. "You should use a portable fire extinguisher only when the fire is contained to a small area and is not growing; everyone has safely exited; the fire department has been called; and the room is not filled with smoke.

"A fire extinguisher is no substitute for the fire department," he emphasizes. "Always call the fire department, no matter how small the fire. And, know when to leave the building. You need to keep in mind that fire extinguishers are only one element of necessary fire safety precautions. Every household also needs working smoke alarms and a fire escape plan."

UL's safety experts offer the following tips for selecting and using an extinguisher:

  • Select a multi-purpose extinguisher with the UL Mark that can be used on all types of home fires (wood, cloth, paper, flammable liquids such as gasoline, oil, grease, oil-based paint, and energized electrical equipment including wiring, fuse boxes, circuit breakers and appliances).
  • Know how the extinguisher works before you need to use it. When there's a fire, there is no time to find the instruction booklet or study instructions printed on the extinguisher.
  • To operate a fire extinguisher, remember the word PASS:
    • Pull the pin, hold the extinguisher away from you and release the locking mechanism.
    • Aim low, pointing the extinguisher at the base of the fire.
    • Squeeze the lever slowly and evenly.
    • Sweep the nozzle from side to side.
  • Stand at least six feet away from the fire and have your back to a door so you can escape easily.

"Fire extinguishers for home use are not designed to fight large or spreading fires," Drengenberg concludes. "Rather than fighting the fire, your No. 1 priority is to get out safely."

About Underwriters Laboratories

Underwriters Laboratories Inc. (UL) is an independent, not-for-profit product safety certification organization that has been testing products for more than 110 years. UL tests more than 18,850 types of products annually, and more than 19 billion UL Marks appear on products each year. Worldwide, UL's family of companies and its network of service providers inclue 60 laboratories, and testing and certification facilities.

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