Rank: Forum user 
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Good morning all.
I have a question which I hope someone will be able to provide a definitive answer to.
Why are fire extinguishers almost always located by final exits?
Surely, if you have reached the final exit you should go through it and leave the building. Would FFE not be more usefull if they were located within the work area where they could be picked up to aid escape to the final exit if required? I have been trained by the Fire Brigade to use extinguishers for over twenty years. I am happy to tackle a fire due to my extensive training but am not happy at the prospect of having to walk to a final exit, picking up an extinguisher and then making my way back to the fire. Why? Because the fire will have grown during that time, more smoke will have been generated, more heat will have been generated and because I do not love my employer anywhere near enough to put my self at extra risk.
Thoughts please.
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Rank: Super forum user
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Hi Saferay,
We have fire extinguishers by all of our exits with all the usual signage and call points. We also have extinguishers located near equipment and other potential sources of fire as detailed in the risk assessment. So whilst I agree that walking to an exit just to return to the fire would seem ludicrous, this would only be necessary if it wasn't picked up by the fire risk assessment.
Pete
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Rank: Super forum user
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Yes there are often extinguishers by final exits, but in larger buildings you will find them elsewhere such as in corridors and common spaces.
However, there is nothing preventing extinguishers being placed in a room or workplace where the risk is, as long as (IMO) the space is large enough, and the extinguishers are located on the escape route from, but within that space - and definitely not tucked up in a corner or dead-end condition.
In my operational fire service days, we would welcome extinguishers at final exits so they were on hand for us as we entered. It saved us from servicing ours when we got back to the Station :)
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Rank: Super forum user
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That's a really good perspective mssy, I hadn't thought of them being used by a professional on the way in!!
And yes, you are quite right about the location of the extinguishers, near sources of potential hazards certainly but in such a way that they force you down a dead end or into further peril.
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Rank: Super forum user
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Having once worked in the petroleum industry on a remotely located crude oil shipment site and worked closely with the health and safety advisor it has always been my understanding that the primary purpose of a fire extinguisher is to enable people to evacuate the premises. When I was responsible for a warehouse and production facility, fire extinguishers were located at strategic points for this purpose. I had an argument with the locate fire service on this point as they requested they all be located at the entrance so everyone knew where they were. I pointed out that this would not help me if the fire was between me and the exit. We agreed that fire extinguishers remained at the strategic locations.
Chris
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Rank: Super forum user 
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In small to medium sized premises with low to medium fire risks, extinguishers are placed near to the exit so that anyone evacuating a fire will pass the extinguishers and they can then decide whether to carry on leaving the premises or to pick up the extinguisher and return to the fire.
This way you will always have the exit behind you when tackling the fire and you can retreat when you need to.
You should never enter a building to locate an extinguisher.
Larger premises will have extinguishers at intervals throughout the premises to keep travel distances to extinguishers short.
Higher risk premises and premises with higher risks, machinery etc. will have extinguishers sited close to the individual risks.
How about a matchworks where fires are frequent? CO2 extinguishers are all over the place, as you can imagine.
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