For a floor in a building, the correct number of water fire extinguishers to tackle Class A fires (fires involving combustible solids such as paper, wood, cloth, plastics etc) can be determined if the fire rating of the floor is known.

The fire rating is found by multiplying the floor area in m2 by 0.065. For a floor area of 200m2 the fire rating is 200 x 0.065 = 13. A minimum of 2 x 13A rated fire extinguishers should be provided per floor in accordance with BS53086.

For special risks such as fires involving live electrical equipment, a suitable fire extinguisher such as carbon dioxide should be provided.

Generally, extinguishers should be located at exits from rooms or storeys, in corridors that form parts of escape routes, and on landings.

Extinguishers for special risks such as electrical fires, flammable liquid fires, or cooking oil fires should be located near the risk in accordance with BS5306.