UK: Extinguishers Banned as a Fire Safety Hazard

There's a label on the side that says what kind of fires it can be used on. I learned this at age eight.

Just...

A dry chemical Type ABC extinguisher will handle any fire in a residential building. The only other type, Type D is for use in facilities that have combustible materials like magnesium, titanium, potassium and sodium. So, unless you're running a chem lab in your shed, you're fine.

London is gonna burn mother fucker, burn.

...again.

yeah........

ABC is the way to go.

These people are idiots if they think people are going to fight fires with fire extinguishers. Fire extinguishers are meant to stop small fires before they spiral out of control. If the stove top catches fire you use it. However if the whole kitchen is on fire it's too late and you need to get your ass out of there.

Most people aren't stupid enough to try and fight fires on their own. The animal instinct kicks in and they run like hell.

Fire extinguishers are also used for helping to escape a burning building. You may need to exit an area with fire in it and the extinguisher could possibly help clear a path for you like a door is on fire but you need to get through that particular door. (that depends on the severity of the fire however)

Idiots. If they truly know fire then they should know that nothing is every truly fireproof.

And what of the old buildings that don't meet these new building regulations?

I swear the United Kingdom is got to be the biggest country of pussies on the planet. Even the...dare I say it.......French have bigger balls at this point.

...

You never think that they will do something as stupid as last time, and then they prove you wrong.

I can see the future...

How? I hate to get all logical on your arses, but Dorset has made a suggestion that has no chance of becoming national law and suddenly the sky is falling - yet again.
Let me put it into context for you: this is as if Shitville, Missouri, pop 28, came up with a proposal for a city ordnance and we started reacting as if it was the law for New York.

I'm just astonished to learn that they have 'high-rise' flats in Dorset. I thought they were still in mud huts

Did I miss a memo or something?

I thought all threads like this required a "Britnannia" header.

This sounds like an especially good move in a country with 400-year-old houses with jury-rigged wiring.

Let's get rid of the actual fire alarms too. I'm sure it says "break glass in case of fire" and they could cut their hands!

I have a 25lb ABC and three 10lb units along with one in every vehicle.
I knew how to use one and when to bail at ten years old.

The obvious solution is to pad the fire extinguishers and place a phone number on the padding that people can text if they have questions about their extinguishing practices...

Whilst I agree, it remains an astonishingly stupid idea and it basically presupposes that the general public are idiots who don't know that devices such as these isn't enough to prevent a substantial fire in the home.

This isn't surprising - these are the people that have banned guns as unsafe.

True...

yes, well...

Short of putting a wet towel over a cookery fire (which I've never had to do, I hasten to add), I don't think I'd tackle any blaze myself.
I check my smoke alarm regularly, though...

Yes, but you shouldn't mention that as it might interfere with the Americans' momentary feeling of superiority.

Or you guys could stop being complete morons and use ABC fire extinguishers as explained by Elwood.

We prefer the XYZ models.

I can't for the life of me see how any residential building would need all six classes of fire extinguishers.

The majority of all fires in a residential building are Class A and Class B.

A ABC class fire extinguisher works just fine for any small fire. Small is not a wall burning or a whole room burning btw.

Any superiority in this issue is the ability to actually have a clue about fires and how to fight them. Evidently, in this particular place on the map, they do not and have chosen a ridiculous solution to the issue instead of educating the populous through PSAs or perhaps sinage over each and every one describing exactly what to do.

It's silly and not a good idea. In fact, I'll go so far as to say it's a downright stupid idea.

Couldn't they have firemen give classes to the residents on how to use them? We have fire prevention events all the time in America (mainly geared at kids, but they have something for everyone.)

A Class B extinguisher will put out flaming oils. I know, I've used the one in my patrol car to put out a tailgater's fire. To say otherwise is stupid.

So, unless these buildings have large quantities of pure sodium, potassium, lithium, etc., saying that all types of extinguishers will be used is just...well, it's either stupid or fear mongering. Maybe both.

Yep. The Class K (Class B in Europe) fire, cooking oils is really just a subset of B.

They have electrical listed under E while America's is C.

So instead of using ABC labeling they just need to relabel a fire extinguisher ABCEK. It will work the same.

Plus most Class C (E) electrical fires turn into Class A or B (mostly A however) once the power is cut either through fire damage or through someone cutting the power.

I wonder if they went ahead with taking them out of buildings would they make them illegal for homeowners to buy for inside the house?

So, to recap:

England has outlawed any sort of weapon more dangerous than a disposable plastic butterknife with the teeth filed off because their citizens can't be trusted,

There are cameras everywhere, and now they're making an effort to install cameras that can see through clothing to ensure no one is up to no good using the aforementioned plastic butterknifes.

They have bad teeth, pasty skin, and eat stuff like "blood pudding", are forced to pay for crappy television (but it doesn't have ads! ) and apparently use a variety of fire extinguisher that is filled with kerosene and is only rated for using on...well, nothing.

I assure you, any feeling of superiority was far from my mind.

That would be too useful, sensible, and old-fashioned. Besides, in order to make a more perfect society, we must rely less on the general competence of the citizen and more on the law-making competence of the politician!

( Or maybe they've got volunteer firemen and don't want to/can't legally ask them to teach such classes. )