Fire Extinguisher Storage

Fire Extinguisher Storage FAQs

How should a fire extinguisher be stored?

The safe storage of fire extinguishers is a general fire safety measure. In the UK, the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 – or FSO for short – prescribes measures needed to make a premises fire safe.

This applies to virtually all buildings, structures and open spaces, such as offices and shops, healthcare facilities, community halls, warehouses and places of worship. Thorough risk assessments indicate the number of fire extinguishers needed on a premises and how these must be stored.
An appointed and responsible person conducts a five-step assessment to identify fire safety hazards and actions a plan to address these. The five steps are:

• Identifying fire hazards.


• Identifying people at risk.


• Evaluating and removing or reducing risks.


• Recording, planning, informing, instructing and training.


• Regularly reviewing existing measures.

How and where you store your fire extinguishers form part of each of these steps. Your fire extinguisher storage requirements depend on the outcomes of your assessments and include the number and type of extinguishers needed.
Seton offers a storage solution for every eventuality. For example, our Stocked Fire Extinguisher Stations provides a comprehensive fire extinguisher information point. This highly visual board effectively draws the attention of people and immediately catches the eye in an emergency. It includes important guidelines such as the type of fire that the attached extinguisher is suitable for. Choose from six different versions to suit your unique layout.

How do I choose the correct fire extinguisher?

Your choice of fire extinguisher depends on the type of fire you want to tackle. There are six kinds of fires:
Fire Extinguisher Storage Cage

• Class A fires are caused by solids such as paper, wood and furniture and require water, dry powder or foam fire extinguishers.


• Class B fires, caused by flammable liquids such as petrol and paraffin, need a foam, dry powder or CO2 fire extinguisher.


• Class C fires are gas-related and caused by substances such as propane and methane and need a dry powder fire extinguisher.


• Class D fires result from metals such as magnesium and titanium and need a specialist powder fire extinguisher.


• Class F fires are started by cooking oils and fats and need a wet chemical fire extinguisher.


• Electrical fires, originally known as Class E, are caused by electrical devices and components and need a CO2 fire extinguisher.

Why is fire extinguisher storage important?

The way that you store your fire extinguishers plays a crucial role in how well they function. Consider things such as the proper storage temperature to avoid creating additional risks and ensure optimal performance when needed.

Using a fire safety station or fire extinguisher storage cabinet ensures that the device is stored securely at the correct angle. This helps promote proper functioning and easy accessibility in case of an emergency.

Our safety-approved range includes an Fire Extinguisher Stations - Unstocked that you can stock with the type of equipment you need on your premises. This one from Seton is highly visible, comes in six different versions, and offers a one-stop point for fire safety in an emergency.

Other premises need more stringent storage options such as a fire extinguisher storage cage to prevent tampering and keep the equipment stored at a safe distance from possible ignition points. You might also need a fire extinguisher storage rack to store multiple or extra units.

What are shadow boards?

A fire safety board or shadow board is a physical visual display containing the outlines of essential fire safety equipment so that users can quickly identify exactly what they need in an emergency. This innovation complies with LEAN manufacturing guidelines.

Here at Seton, we provide fully modular fire prevention boards you can customise to suit the needs of your workplace. You can use these to promote the 5S (sort, set in order, shine, standardise, sustain) system in your environment. For example, should your workplace require different fire extinguishers, you can combine Water Fire Extinguisher Shadow Board, CO2 Fire Extinguisher Shadow Board, Dry Powder Fire Extinguisher Shadow Board and Foam Fire Extinguisher Shadow Board to safely and securely store the devices.

These fire safety shadow boards 5S offer highly visible guidance while providing a clean and professional way to store fire extinguishers. The custom shadow boards help with the implementation of LEAN and 5S practices and ensure that these emergency items are easy to locate. Seton lets you choose between stocked and unstocked versions.

Our safety experts can help you with any query. Fire extinguisher storage helps to keep your emergency equipment in top condition and makes it accessible in the event of a fire.