Just went the the required fire extinguisher training.
Check your fire extinguisher. How often? Check what? Where I work, it is a state requirement that they are checked monthly and signed off. Along with the eyewash stations and showers. You probably don't have to be as intense. What are you checking? It is good to know the type of extinguisher you have. As mentioned elsewhere, Halon and CO2 act by removing or replacing oxygen from the fire. Something to consider as you need that oxygen stuff to breath. Dry chemicals coat. That's why they are so messy. One thing I think everyone checks is the gauge. Anything outside of the green, the extinguisher should be replaced. Is the pin in place? Or did someone use it and leave you a useless unit? What is the condition of the hose if it has one? If it is cracked, it could break off when you go to use it. That would make it difficult to aim. Make sure a spider or a wasp hasn't made the hose their home.
Remember, you are only trying to stop the starting stages of a fire. If the truck gas tank or the room is engulfed, don't be a hero. There are people ho get paid to be a hero. Call them and let them do their job.
Speaking of being a hero. Resist that urge to run right up on a fire. If you look at the label on the extinguisher, it will tell you the optimal distance to be when using that extinguisher. I know, I know, we all do that "dad" thing where we throw away the instructions. It's in our genes. But, that fire extinguisher label has some really great information we should all be familiar with.
If you run up and get too close, not only will you feel the heat, you might blow all that extinguisher material right through the fire making your efforts negligible. Most extinguishers will show the P.A.S.S. method. Pull the pin, Aim the nozzle, Squeeze the trigger and Sweep the nozzle from side to side.
I like old extinguishers. I use them for practice. Used to be we could extinguish a live fire. These days, I guess the state is not to keen on that. So, no fire and we have to use a compressed water extinguisher for training. I miss the old days.
