From the course: Occupational Safety and Health: Fire and Emergency Preparedness

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How to use a fire extinguisher

How to use a fire extinguisher

From the course: Occupational Safety and Health: Fire and Emergency Preparedness

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How to use a fire extinguisher

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- Fire extinguishers are generally all designed to be operated in a similar manner, but you should familiarize yourself with the operating instructions before you need one in an emergency situation. They're all generally operated in a manner described by the PASS acronym. P means pull the pin that's in place to keep the fire extinguisher from accidentally discharging. A means aim the nozzle at the base of the fire, the base, not the top of the flames because you're going to use it to smother the fuel. S means squeeze the trigger or handle, and the second S means sweep the nozzle from side to side to smother the fuel and stop the fire. Do these things in this order. If you don't pull the pin first, the fire extinguisher won't work and as soon as you pull the pin, immediately aim the nozzle at the base of the fire. Remember, the fire extinguisher's going to work for seconds, not minutes, and you have a limited amount of chemical agent inside, so don't waste any of it by discharging it…

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