Fire extinguisher classes poster

Fires are classed by what is burning, and each extinguisher is labelled with the classes it can put out. Using the wrong one can spread the fire or give an electric shock. This poster sets out the five US classes from NFPA 10: A for ordinary combustibles, B for flammable liquids and gases, C for energized electrical equipment, D for combustible metals and K for cooking oils and fats, with a reminder to fight a fire only when trained, when it is small and with the exit behind you.

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Download PNG (300 dpi)2550 x 3300 px, prints at 8.5 x 11 in · 424 KB · no form

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The words on the poster

Fire extinguisher classes

Match the extinguisher's label to what is burning.

Ordinary combustibles Wood, paper, cardboard, cloth, many plastics.
Flammable liquids and gases Fuel, solvents, paint, oil, propane. Never water.
Energized electrical equipment Panels, motors, chargers. Never water. Cut the power if you can.
Combustible metals Magnesium, titanium, metal fines. Special Class D agent only.
Cooking oils and fats Canteen fryers. Wet chemical extinguisher.

Only if trained and the fire is small. Keep your exit behind you. Raise the alarm first.

Nearest extinguisher: ____
Emergency number: ____

US classes, NFPA 10. OSHA 29 CFR 1910.157.

On the floor

How to use it

Putting the Fire extinguisher classes poster to work

1
Post it next to extinguisher points and in welding, paint and battery charging areas.
2
Check that the extinguishers in each area match the fires that could start there.
3
Use it with the emergency response poster, which has the PASS method.
4
Outside the US, classes differ: check your local standard before you print.

Where the poster goes and how to teach with it, in the order to try them.

Which size to print

24 x 36 in or A2: a main wall or team board, read from a few metres away.
18 x 24 in or A3: a station or notice board. The A3 file also fits 11 x 17 in paper.
Letter or A4: a clipboard, binder or handout, on any office printer.

Every PDF is vector, so it stays sharp at full size. Nothing runs to the edge of the page, so no bleed is needed.

Sources and notes

These are the US classes (NFPA 10). Europe and many other countries use EN 2, where class C is flammable gases, F is cooking oils and fats, and electrical fires have no class of their own; Australia uses another set again. The idea is the same: match the extinguisher's label to what is burning.