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Now, let us look at fire extinguishers. They have been in use for many years throughout the UK and can be effective means of fighting a fire in its early stages, if safe to do so. Here demonstrated is a water, a foam, a powder and a CO2, and then finally that of a fire blanket. Let us go through each one. Water extinguisher can deal with an A class fire as the symbol states. That is materials that burn easily; paper, cardboard, for example. Next, a foam extinguisher. It does A, but also does B, flammable liquids.

Next is our powder extinguisher. A, B, C, as well as fires involving electricity. And then finally we have our CO2. B class and fires involving electricity. It is important though in the early stages that a person gets the correct training on which one is the ideal one for each different type of fire we may come across. Soon we will demonstrate practically how to use each of these extinguishers in the right environment. But there are some safety features to keep in mind. So, what are those safety considerations for the powder and the CO2?

Well, first of all, with the powder extinguisher, once it is discharged, it comes out at a such a rate, it creates a great deal of dust. What we do not want to do is to breath that in. So, the correct method for using a powder should be a short, sharp blast and ideal though, to walk away from that product. Very similar to CO2. When we discharge a CO2, which is a gas, and those usually come out very cold, therefore we never hold it here or hold it here. But again, particularly in a confined space, we would make sure we are well away from it. Because if we blast this off, it does remove the oxygen. So, the correct way to use this is a short sharp blast. Press on, press off, and move away. Try not to breathe it in. But I would always suggest that to use these two, in particular, we are talking about something that is very, very small, a smouldering fire, something that is easy to put out, that does not put you or anybody else at risk.

And finally, the fire blanket. We will find these in kitchens. They can come in different sizes, depending on the size of the kitchen involved, the number of cookers they may have. You need good training with this because to use incorrectly, you could easily injure yourself, your hands and arms. The advice by the Fire and Rescue Service usually is, "Isolate the power, or the gas, leave, call 999." Do not risk yourself if you do not know how to use this correctly.