Fire Extinguishers on Residential Construction Sites in Australia

Portable fire extinguishers are the first line of defence against small fires on a residential building site in Australia. Once timber framing goes up, hot works begin or temporary power runs across the slab, the fire load on a site changes daily. The PCBU must select the right type of extinguisher for the fuel present, place it where someone can reach it within seconds and keep it in working order for the life of the project.

What it is

A portable fire extinguisher is a hand operated pressurised vessel containing an agent that suppresses a fire of a specific class. On residential sites the relevant fuel classes are Class A (timber, paper, plastics), Class B (flammable liquids such as fuel and solvents), Class E (electrical equipment) and occasionally Class F (cooking oils in site sheds).

AS 2444 sets out how to select and locate portable extinguishers in buildings and on sites. AS/NZS 1841 specifies the construction of the extinguishers themselves. AS 1851 governs routine service of fire protection equipment once it is in place. The National Construction Code refers to AS 2444 for fire fighting equipment in completed buildings, but during construction the WHS duties run in parallel and apply from day one on site.

Choosing the right unit

A 4.5 kg dry chemical (ABE) extinguisher with a minimum rating of 3A:40B:E covers most situations on a residential site. It handles timber, flammable liquids and live electrical risks in one unit. Where hot works are happening, such as roofing, welding or grinding, a second extinguisher should sit within the immediate work area, not just in the site shed. Petrol stores, generators and fuel bowsers need a dedicated Class B capable extinguisher beside the storage location.

Placement and travel distance

AS 2444 sets a maximum travel distance of 20 metres from any point on the site to a Class A extinguisher. For Class B risks the travel distance is shorter, usually 15 metres. Extinguishers should be mounted on a clearly marked stand, with a sign visible from at least 20 metres, and never blocked by stacked materials. On a typical 200 m2 build, two extinguishers near the entry and one near any hot work zone usually meets the spacing rule.

Maintenance under AS 1851

AS 1851-2012 requires routine service of portable extinguishers on a defined cycle. Six monthly checks confirm the unit is pressurised, accessible and free of damage. The five yearly service involves a full discharge test and refill or replacement. Records of each service must be kept and the service tag attached to the extinguisher must show the date of the last inspection. On long running residential projects, a missing or expired tag is one of the most common findings in a WorkSafe site visit.

WHS duties on the builder

Under the model WHS Regulations, a PCBU must provide first response fire equipment as part of the workplace emergency plan. The emergency plan itself must identify fire fighting equipment, evacuation routes and the assembly point. Workers should know where each extinguisher sits and how to use it. A two minute toolbox talk at induction satisfies the basic training duty for occasional users. Hot work operators need a higher level of fire awareness training because they create the ignition source.

Common site failures

Three failures show up again and again on residential sites. The first is a single extinguisher in the lockbox at the front of the site, 40 metres from the actual work face. The second is an expired service tag that nobody has checked since the project started. The third is a Class A only water extinguisher placed near the generator or fuel store, where it is the wrong agent for the fuel present. Each of these is straightforward to fix during the weekly site walk and each is a clear breach of the AS 2444 placement rule.