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England to remove fire extinguishers because they are a safety hazzard

OutHouse

OutHouse

Lifer
wow im at a loss for words. one commenter got it right.
It's sad that the whole UK has become one big Monty Python skit.
Pathetic.
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http://www.metro.co.uk/news/115014-extinguishers-banned-as-a-fire-safety-hazard

Fire extinguishers could be removed from communal areas in flats throughout the country because they are a safety hazard, it has emerged.

The life-saving devices encourage untrained people to fight a fire rather than leave the building, risk assessors in Bournemouth decided.

There are fears that their recommendation, which has seen the extinguishers ripped out of several private, high-rise flats in the town, could set a national precedent.

Under the Fire Safety Order of 2005, fire assessments must be carried out to 'eliminate or reduce risk as is reasonably practical'.

But Mike Edwards, who lives in one of the blocks, said he was 'absolutely staggered' that risk experts thought it a safe decision.

'They are worried we will point them in the wrong direction or use the wrong extinguishers,' he said. 'But if you are trapped in a burning building, you will work out how to use one.'

The 61-year-old claimed his neighbours were now worried sick that a fire could break out.

Dorset Fire and Rescue defended the move, saying: 'Obviously, in some cases, an extinguisher could come in useful but, with new building regulations, every escape route should be completely fireproof.'

The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents backed their removal because different extinguishers should be used on different types of fire.

But the Department for Communities and Local Government denied it would see them removed from all flats.

'Fire and safety regulations make clear that appropriate safety equipment must be provided,' said a spokesman.

Independent health and safety consultant Anthony Petitt suggested training people in their use – 'otherwise it's just putting people at risk'

Read more: http://www.metro.co.uk/news/115014-extinguishers-banned-as-a-fire-safety-hazard#ixzz1UdqEYLqT
 
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I'm glad that this is finally happening. I have been rallying people for years for the removal of fire extinguishers from public places. No one should be a hero.
 
Saint Nick said:
I'm glad that this is finally happening. I have been rallying people for years for the removal of fire extinguishers from public places. No one should be a hero.
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Including firefighters. They should now mandate that firefighters only go in after a fire has completely burned out and there is nothing left of the building.
 
Saint Nick said:
I'm glad that this is finally happening. I have been rallying people for years for the removal of fire extinguishers from public places. No one should be a hero.
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Knowing how to use a fire extinguisher does not make one a hero, barely makes them boy scout.
 
Lifted said:
Including firefighters. They should now mandate that firefighters only go in after a fire has completely burned out and there is nothing left of the building.
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This reminds me of Gangs of New York, where two rival fire brigades decide to start a fistfight instead of attempting stop the house in front of them from burning to the ground.
 
I've always figured people would jump out of the window when there is a massive fire. I can only assume people have recently tried using a fire extinguisher instead
 
flvinny521 said:
This reminds me of Gangs of New York, where two rival fire brigades decide to start a fistfight instead of attempting stop the house in front of them from burning to the ground.
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And that fighting was based on true history. I never watched the movie but watched a documentary about the history behind the movie.
 
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CptPicardDoubleFacePalm.jpg


Oh no, there's a small fire in my kitchen! I'll just grab the extinguisher in the hallway, oh wait they removed it, now the WHOLE GODDAMN BUILDING IS GOING TO BURN DOWN. Morons.
 
I made it 9 lines before bursting out into spontaneous laughter. Then, I looked for the Onion link - what? This isn't a joke by the Onion?! More spontaneous laughter. Ahhh, I get it - people aren't smart enough in England to fight a small fire with a fire extinguisher? Some vandal sets a garbage can on fire, and rather than put it out in 2 seconds, England would rather have the building burn to the ground?

edit: let's see, 2 fire extinguishers in the kitchen, one in the garage, 2 in the boat garage, one in the barn, one in the basement.
 
This is why they need robotic fire extinguishers that can detect the type or fire and rescue the building.
 
I actually doubt most people know when to use a powder or a CO2 extinguisher and how to use them with maximum efficiency/ any effect at all.
 
Jaepheth said:
Man... they just don't trust people to do anything for themselves, do they?
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Unfortunately, the nanny state doesn't trust anyone to do anything unless certified, and in a controlled area.

I can sort of see some bright spark thought fire-extinguishers in communal areas would do more harm than good. How would the average person know whether to use a water, CO2, AFFF or powder extinguisher? None of these are universal. Would they even be able to identify the type of extinguisher (they used to be color coded: red - water, black - CO2, yellow - AFFF, blue - powder; but a change in the law means that they must all be red).

The issue of heroism is a tricky one. One of the major advances in safety has been the recognition that heroes risk doing more harm than good, and the discouragement of heroic acts ensures that even if things go wrong, you avoid the risk of making the situation worse (one fewer rescuers, and one more victim). It's fair enough, if people are trained in the use of fire extinguishers to make them available. You don't want to encourage an untrained person to use the wrong type of extinguisher - as having them waste their time merely puts them at unnecessary risk, potentially risks making the problem worse (e.g. using a water extinguisher on a kitchen fire).

The problem isn't quite so bad in modern UK residential blocks. The building code is exceptionally strict about fire regulations in new apartments - and each apartment must be built a hermetic 2 hour fire-resistant concrete cell. The front doors to the apartments must have heat-activated sealing strips (which will form an air-tight seal between the door and frame) in the event of fire. Similarly there are strict regulations on the amount of flammable material allowed in communal areas, and there must be multiple fire-escape routes. By and large, if a fire breaks out in an apartment, the thing to do is get out of the apartment, close the door and call the fire brigade. The 2 hour fire resistance of the building structure should ensure plenty of time for the fire to be controlled before it can cause damage to the remainder of the building.

Of course, myself knowing what to do, I always keep a couple of fire extinguishers about my apartment, as well as fire blankets for cooking fires. They saved me a lot of grief in the past. I would advise people to do the same, and make sure that they know how to use their equipment.
 
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Markr

Arent the fire extingushers installed fot the type of fire that could happen? Isnt this part of the fire depts job to check that a water extinguisher is not in a kitchen?
 
Everyone knows that the presence of fire extinguishers encourages negligent use of fire. That's why you never hear about fires in the forest.
 
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