Fire Extinguishers

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Portable Fire Extinguishers — Supply, Installation & Annual Servicing

KS & A Security Solutions supplies, installs, commissions, and services portable fire extinguishers for businesses, landlords, schools, care homes, and public buildings across London, Hertfordshire, and the Home Counties. From a single extinguisher in a small office to a scheduled maintenance programme across an estate of fifty sites, we provide a service that keeps you compliant and protected.

Under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, fire extinguishers must be provided where a fire risk assessment identifies the need, and they must be maintained in efficient working order by a competent person. BS 5306-3:2017 defines that maintenance — annual basic service, extended service (discharge test or overhaul) at prescribed intervals, and regular visual inspections by the user.

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Extinguisher Types We Supply & Service

Choosing the right extinguisher for each location is critical. The wrong type on a cooking oil fire, for instance, can turn a small flame into a catastrophic event. We provide guidance as part of every site survey.

Water Extinguishers (Red Label)

For Class A fires: wood, paper, textiles, and other solid organic materials. Water extinguishers cool burning material below its ignition temperature. They must never be used on live electrical equipment or burning liquids. Suitable for offices, corridors, schools, hotels, and retail premises. Available in 6-litre and 9-litre sizes.

Foam Extinguishers (Cream Label)

For Class A and Class B fires: solids and flammable liquids such as petrol, diesel, oils, paints, and solvents. AFFF (aqueous film-forming foam) extinguishers smother the fire by forming a film over the burning liquid surface and also provide cooling on solid materials. Splash-proof nozzles reduce the risk when applying to liquids. Widely recommended for general office and workshop use — they are more versatile than water extinguishers. Available in 6-litre and 9-litre sizes.

CO2 Extinguishers (Black Label)

For Class B fires (flammable liquids) and fires involving live electrical equipment. Carbon dioxide is a clean, non-conductive gas that displaces oxygen and leaves no residue. Essential near electrical switchgear, server rooms, kitchens with electrical appliances, and any location with sensitive equipment. Be aware: CO2 extinguishers do not cool, so re-ignition is a risk on hot surfaces. Available in 2 kg and 5 kg capacities. Horns get extremely cold during discharge — never touch the horn during use.

Dry Powder Extinguishers (Blue Label)

For Class A, B, and C fires (solids, flammable liquids, and flammable gases) plus fires involving live electrical equipment. ABC powder is the most versatile extinguisher type and is the default specification for construction sites, plant rooms, boiler houses, garages, and locations with mixed risks. The downside is that powder discharge causes severe visibility reduction indoors and leaves a corrosive residue that damages electrical equipment — it is rarely the best choice inside finished buildings. Available in 1 kg, 2 kg, 4 kg, 6 kg, and 9 kg capacities.

Wet Chemical Extinguishers (Yellow Label)

For Class F fires: cooking oils and fats. Wet chemical extinguishers discharge a fine spray that reacts with burning fat to form a soapy crust (saponification), sealing the surface and preventing re-ignition. Legally required in commercial kitchens with deep-fat fryers. A wet chemical extinguisher and a fire blanket must be provided within easy reach of any commercial cooking appliance using oil or fat. Available in 3-litre and 6-litre sizes.

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Our Extinguisher Services

Free Site Survey

We visit your premises at no charge to assess your extinguisher requirements. Our survey covers:

• Building layout and fire risk areas
• Extinguisher types, capacities, and quantities per floor and per risk zone
• Siting and mounting heights (to BS 5306-8:2012)
• Signage requirements (BS ISO 7010 location signs)
• Travel distances to nearest extinguisher
• Existing extinguishers — condition, age, and whether they can remain in service

You receive a free, no-obligation written schedule showing every extinguisher location, type, and cost, clearly mapped to the relevant part of BS 5306. We do not oversell — we will tell you if you already have adequate cover.

Supply & Installation

All extinguishers we supply are sourced from UK manufacturers with full BSI Kitemark or CE/UKCA approval and carry a five-year manufacturer’s warranty against manufacturing defects. Installation includes:

• Fixed wall mounting bracket at the correct height (handle no higher than 1.1 metres for heavy extinguishers, base no lower than 300 mm from floor level)
• Identification signage to BS ISO 7010 positioned directly above each extinguisher
• Plinth or trolley mounting where wall fixing is impractical (listed buildings, glass walls)
• Commissioning tag dated and signed by our engineer
• Entry into your fire safety logbook with recommended next service date

Annual Servicing (BS 5306-3:2017)

Every portable fire extinguisher in a non-domestic building must be serviced annually by a competent person. Our BAFE-registered technicians carry out the full BS 5306-3 service procedure:

• External examination for corrosion, dents, damage, and missing parts
• Check of operating instructions and labelling legibility
• Weight check (for CO2 extinguishers — this is how we verify contents, by weighing and comparing to the stamp weight)
• Pressure gauge indication for stored-pressure types
• Safety pin and tamper seal condition
• Hose, horn, and nozzle inspection — no blockages, no cracks
• Plunger removal and internal mechanism inspection on cartridge-operated extinguishers (where fitted)
• Service label completion and anti-tamper seal renewal
• Logbook entry with any deficiencies noted

Every extinguisher we reject or condemn is documented and replaced with a quotation provided immediately. We never remove extinguishers without authorisation, and we always leave a written service report.

Extended servicing (discharge test or overhaul) is carried out at intervals prescribed by BS 5306-3: every five years for water, foam, and powder extinguishers (discharge test); every ten years for CO2 (hydraulic pressure test and replacement); and every five years for wet chemical (discharge test). We manage the entire cycle — you do not need to track these dates.

Fire Blankets

BS EN 1869 fire blankets are a legal requirement in commercial kitchens alongside wet chemical extinguishers. They smother small cooking pan fires and can be used to wrap a person whose clothing has caught fire. We supply and install fire blankets with their dedicated red container, sited within two metres of any cooking appliance using oil or fat. Fire blankets require annual inspection as part of your extinguisher maintenance programme.

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Frequently Asked Questions

How many fire extinguishers do I need?

There is no single answer — it depends on your building, its fire risks, and the outcome of your fire risk assessment. As a general guide, BS 5306-8 recommends at least two Class A extinguishers per floor for low-risk premises, with travel distances not exceeding 30 metres to the nearest extinguisher. For specific hazards — a server room, a commercial kitchen, a workshop with flammable liquids — additional extinguishers of the appropriate type must be sited within the immediate area. Our free site survey provides a definitive schedule for your specific premises.

How often must fire extinguishers be serviced?

Annually. BS 5306-3:2017 requires that every portable fire extinguisher in a non-domestic building is serviced at least once every twelve months by a competent person. The Responsible Person must also carry out — or arrange for — monthly visual inspections to check that each extinguisher is in its designated location, unobstructed, with seals intact and pressure gauge in the green. This takes a few seconds per extinguisher and should be recorded in your fire safety logbook.

Do I need an extinguisher if the building has a sprinkler system?

Usually yes. A sprinkler system and portable extinguishers serve different purposes. Sprinklers protect the building structure and suppress large fires automatically. Extinguishers allow trained staff to tackle a fire in its very earliest stages — a bin fire, an overheated appliance — before the sprinklers activate (or in areas not covered by sprinklers). Your fire risk assessment should confirm the requirement, but in most cases, extinguishers are still needed for first-aid firefighting even where suppression systems are installed.

Are old extinguishers still legal to use?

It depends on their condition. There is no statutory expiry date for fire extinguishers, but they must be maintained to BS 5306-3 and any extinguisher that fails its annual service inspection must be taken out of service immediately. In practice, extinguishers over ten years old often fail on corrosion or wear, and CO2 extinguishers must undergo a mandatory ten-year hydraulic pressure test and replacement programme. We frequently encounter extinguishers dating from the 1990s still hanging on walls — if an extinguisher looks old, get it checked.

Can you service extinguishers that another company supplied?

Yes. We service extinguishers from any manufacturer and any supplier. If the extinguisher is serviceable — in date for its extended service cycle, in good condition, and the correct type for its location — we simply take over the maintenance. If on our first annual service we find extinguishers that are due for an extended service (discharge test), out of condition, or incorrectly sited, we will advise you and quote for replacements or the necessary work. There is no charge to switch your maintenance contract to KS & A Security Solutions.

How do I know which type of extinguisher goes where?

The short version: water for offices, CO2 for electrical areas, foam for general workshops, wet chemical for commercial kitchens, and powder for outdoor or construction environments. But there are many nuances — a large open-plan office might benefit from foam rather than water because foam covers both solids and electrical risks; a kitchen without a deep-fat fryer may not legally need a wet chemical extinguisher. Our free site survey removes the guesswork. Every extinguisher location in your schedule is justified against the specific fire risk it serves.

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Typical Extinguisher Schedules

We have published some indicative extinguisher schedules for common building types. These are guidance only — your premises may differ.

Location	Minimum Provision
Small office (single floor, <100 m²)	1 x 6L water or foam, 1 x 2 kg CO2 near electrical intake
Medium office (per floor, 100-500 m²)	2 x 6L water or foam, 1 x 2 kg CO2 per floor, plus CO2 in any server/IT room
Commercial kitchen	1 x 6L wet chemical, 1 x fire blanket, plus foam or CO2 for general kitchen area
Workshop / light industrial	Foam extinguishers at travel distances not exceeding 30 m, CO2 near electrical panels, powder if flammable gas present
Retail unit	1 x 6L water or foam per 200 m², CO2 near electrical intake and any IT equipment
Warehouse	Foam or water at travel distances not exceeding 25 m (higher risk — shorter distances), CO2 near forklift charging stations
HMO / residential common areas	1 x 6L foam per floor (protected lobby/escape route)

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Standards & Compliance

BS 5306

BS 5306 is the British Standard governing fire extinguishing installations and portable fire extinguishers. The key parts relevant to our service:

• BS 5306-3:2017 — Commissioning and maintenance of portable fire extinguishers. This defines the annual service procedure, extended service intervals, and competence requirements for service technicians. Our BAFE-registered technicians work to this standard as their baseline.

• BS 5306-8:2012 — Selection and positioning of portable fire extinguishers. This defines how many extinguishers, of which types and capacities, must be provided for different occupancy types and fire risks. Our free site survey methodology follows this code.

Third-Party Certification

All our extinguisher services are covered by our BAFE SP101 registration and NSI Fire Gold certification. This means our competence — our technicians, our working practices, our calibration of test equipment, our record-keeping — is independently audited at least annually. Using a third-party certificated provider is the recognised way to demonstrate to enforcing authorities and insurers that you have used a “competent person” as required by the Fire Safety Order.

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Brands We Recommend

Brand	Notes
Britannia	UK-manufactured extinguishers with EN3 and BSI Kitemark certification. Excellent build quality and widely used across commercial and public sector portfolios. Our default recommendation for most installations.
Commander	Part of CheckFire Group. Good value extinguishers with full Kitemark approval. Popular for cost-sensitive projects where quality must not be compromised.
FireShield	Robust extinguishers with a five-year warranty as standard. Particularly strong in education and healthcare sectors.

We are independent and will specify the most appropriate brand for your requirements and budget.

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Why Choose KS & A Security Solutions?

• BAFE SP101 registered — certified competence in fire extinguisher servicing
• NSI Fire Gold accredited — independently audited quality management
• Free site survey — no obligation, no hard sell, just a clear schedule of your requirements
• Fixed-price annual servicing — no hidden extras, no unexpected invoices for replacement seals or basic consumables
• Automatic extended service tracking — we tell you when discharge tests and overhauls are due; you do not need to keep track
• Local engineers — based in Watford, covering London and the Home Counties with fast response times

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Next Steps

Call us on +44 7423 127081 or email info@ksasolutions.uk. We respond to all enquiries within one working day. Most site surveys can be completed within one hour, and we will have your written schedule with you within 48 hours of the visit.

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Related Fire Safety Services

• Fire Alarm Systems — Design, installation, servicing, and 24/7 monitoring to BS 5839-1:2025
• Emergency Lighting — Design, installation, and testing of emergency escape lighting to BS 5266
• Fire Protection Systems — Sprinklers, smoke control, fire curtains, and gas suppression