Can You Move a Fire Extinguisher to a Different Location?
Fire extinguishers are regularly moved around commercial premises. An office is refurbished, warehouse racking is rearranged or somebody decides an extinguisher would look neater on another wall.
The extinguisher may only move a few metres, so it can seem like an insignificant change. However, its original position may have been selected for specific fire safety reasons.
For businesses in Skipton, understanding when an extinguisher can be relocated – and when professional advice should be sought – can help prevent seemingly minor workplace changes from undermining fire protection.
Why Does Extinguisher Position Matter?
Fire extinguishers are not intended to be distributed randomly around a building.
Their location should take account of factors including:
- Fire risks
- Escape routes
- Building layout
- Accessibility
- Visibility
- Travel distances
Equipment may also have been positioned to provide protection for a particular hazard.
Moving an extinguisher without considering these factors can potentially leave part of the premises without appropriate provision.
What If It Is Only Moving a Few Metres?
Distance alone does not determine whether relocation is appropriate.
Moving an extinguisher from one side of a corridor to another may have little practical impact in some circumstances.
Moving the same extinguisher through a doorway into another room could be considerably more significant.
The important question is whether the new position continues to provide appropriate coverage while keeping the equipment accessible and visible.
If there is uncertainty, professional advice should be sought before changing its location.
Office Refurbishments Are a Common Cause
Office refurbishments frequently result in fire extinguishers being moved.
New partition walls are installed, desks are repositioned and storage areas are created. Existing extinguisher locations can suddenly appear inconvenient.
The problem arises when equipment is removed during building work and subsequently installed wherever there happens to be available wall space.
Fire safety should instead form part of the refurbishment plan.
Extinguisher positions can then be reviewed alongside escape routes, signage and other fire precautions before employees return to the refurbished area.
Warehouse Changes Can Be More Significant
Warehouse layouts can change substantially as businesses grow.
Additional racking may create new aisles, stock levels may increase and previously open areas can become storage locations.
An extinguisher that was clearly visible can quickly disappear behind pallets, shelving or equipment.
Simply moving it to the nearest convenient column may not provide an appropriate solution.
The revised warehouse layout should be considered to ensure extinguishers remain correctly distributed and accessible.
Never Move Equipment to Hide It
Some businesses dislike the appearance of fire extinguishers in customer-facing areas and attempt to make them less conspicuous.
This can result in equipment being placed behind furniture, inside cupboards or in less visible areas.
Fire extinguishers need to be readily identifiable during an emergency.
A neat commercial environment can still be maintained without compromising fire safety. Appropriate mounting and discreet but clearly visible signage can help equipment integrate into modern premises.
What About Freestanding Extinguishers?
Not every extinguisher is wall mounted.
Suitable stands may be used where wall mounting is impractical, particularly in open-plan commercial environments or buildings where fixing into walls is undesirable.
However, using a stand does not mean an extinguisher can simply be placed anywhere.
Its location still needs to reflect the building layout, relevant fire risks and the wider fire safety arrangements.
Update Records When Locations Change
Businesses using extinguisher asset registers or location schedules should update their records whenever equipment is legitimately relocated.
Accurate records help servicing engineers locate equipment and make it easier for facilities managers to identify missing extinguishers.
For larger commercial premises, individually identifying extinguishers can make this process considerably easier.
Include Extinguishers in Workplace Change Procedures
Businesses can avoid many relocation problems by making fire safety part of their change-management procedures.
Before changing layouts, ask:
- Will any extinguisher become obstructed?
- Are escape routes changing?
- Is equipment being removed temporarily?
- Will new fire risks be introduced?
- Does the fire risk assessment need reviewing?
Considering these questions before alterations are completed is considerably easier than correcting problems afterwards.
When Should Professional Advice Be Sought?
Minor changes do not necessarily mean an entire extinguisher installation needs redesigning.
However, professional advice is sensible following significant refurbishment, expansion, changes of use or alterations to workplace fire risks.
A competent extinguisher engineer can review the revised layout and determine whether existing equipment remains appropriately positioned.
The objective is not to prevent businesses changing their premises. It is to ensure fire protection changes with them.
Skipton Fire Extinguishers
Skipton Fire Extinguishers provides commercial fire extinguisher surveys, installation, servicing and maintenance throughout Skipton and the surrounding areas.
If your workplace has been refurbished, reorganised or expanded, we can review existing extinguisher locations and help ensure equipment remains appropriately positioned for the current premises.
For commercial fire extinguisher advice or scheduled servicing, contact Skipton Fire Extinguishers.
Tel: 01756 480481
Email: [email protected]
Website: skiptonfireextinguishers.co.uk
