It is a fair enough assumption that most of us, if not all, do not have an idea on how to properly use fire extinguishers.
After all, we rarely take the time to read manuals and user guides on most household utilities and gadgets, let alone the ones we don't want to use - and we certainly wouldn't want to have to use fire extinguishers, right? The fact is, we really ought to know how to use this nifty life-saving cylinder, if only to avoid having to read its label while, say, the kitchen is burning! So let's get to know our fire extinguisher better.
Of course, it would help if we can readily identify its parts first before we move on to the intricacies of using it properly.
The ones we see in our kitchen corner - usually the stored pressure type - have a safety pin, a hose, a nozzle, a handle, and the cylinder.
The first step is to pull the safety pin while holding the fire extinguisher upright.
It won't work if the safety pin is still in place, and it has to be upright to avoid injuries, should there be leaks and handle malfunction.
Its content is pressurized, remember? Next is to aim the nozzle at the source of the fire.
If we want to put out a fire, we want to go straight to what's causing it and fire away (sorry, I couldn't resist the pun).
Also, remember to keep a safe distance and stay at least six to ten feet away from the fire.
We can then squeeze the handle and quickly spray the contents from side to side in a sweeping motion and start dousing the fire out, making sure to cover the entire fire base.
Continue the sweeping motion until the fire is completely doused out.
Easy enough, right? Now, to make it even simpler, we can sum up the whole process in four easy steps - pull, aim, squeeze and sweep, or PASS.
Yes, the proper way to use fire extinguisher is to go PASS.
Now, before we go ahead and apply these simple steps, there are other important considerations we might want to entertain, like: if the fire extinguisher we're holding is appropriate for the kind of fire we're faced with; if someone has already called the fire department; if we have access to exit points, should the fire spread or get too big; and if we are physically and psychologically ready to handle the task.
If our answer to all these is "Yes," then we can certainly PASS when there's fire.