Tower Fire delivers BAFE-accredited, RRFSO-compliant assessments and fire safety consultancy. Our team brings over 30 years of professional fire service experience. Request your free quote today.
Fire Extinguishers:
Supply, Servicing, and the P50 from Tower Fire
Tower Fire supplies, commissions, and services fire extinguisher UK businesses, care homes, schools, and organisations across every sector depend on. As an official Britannia P50 supplier, we also offer a smarter alternative to traditional extinguisher provision that eliminates annual engineer servicing costs and reduces your extinguisher count by up to 40 per cent.
Under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, the responsible person must ensure that appropriate firefighting equipment is provided, easily accessible, simple to use, and indicated by signs where necessary. Providing the wrong type of fire extinguisher for the hazards present, or failing to maintain extinguishers in efficient working order, is a breach of this duty and can result in enforcement action.
Legal Requirements for
Fire Extinguishers in the UK
The legal framework governing fire extinguisher provision in the UK combines the RRFSO 2005 with two key British Standards:
- RRFSO 2005 Article 13: the responsible person must provide appropriate non-automatic firefighting equipment where it is necessary to protect people on the premises, taking into account the building layout, activities, hazardous substances, and number of occupants
- BS 5306-8 (updated 2023): the British Standard for selection and positioning of portable fire extinguishers in non-domestic premises. Every new extinguisher must be commissioned on-site before being placed into service
- BS 5306-3:2017: the British Standard for commissioning and maintenance of portable fire extinguishers. Annual servicing is required for all portable extinguishers. Extended service intervals vary by type: typically every five years for water and foam extinguishers, and overhaul at the end of the rated service life
Monthly visual checks by the responsible person and annual servicing by a competent engineer are the minimum compliance standard. Failure to comply can result in enforcement notices, unlimited fines, and up to two years’ imprisonment in serious cases.
Choosing the Right Agent for Your Premises
Correct extinguisher selection is the most important decision in fire extinguisher provision. The agent must match the hazard class of the fire risks present on the premises, as determined by the fire risk assessment.
- Water: Class A fires (combustible solids: wood, paper, textiles). Available in standard jet and water mist variants. Water mist is also effective on Class F fires in some configurations
- Foam (AFFF): Class A and Class B fires (flammable liquids). Suitable for mixed-risk commercial and retail environments
- CO²: electrical hazards and Class B fires. No residue, safe for use on electronic equipment, server rooms, and data centres
- Dry powder: Class A, B, and C fires (flammable gases) and electrical hazards. Suitable for outdoor and high-risk industrial environments. Not recommended for confined spaces due to contamination risk and visibility reduction
- Wet chemical: Class F fires only (cooking oils and fats). Required in all commercial kitchens. Never use water or foam on a Class F fire
The Smarter Extinguisher for UK Businesses
Tower Fire is an official supplier of the Britannia P50 fire extinguisher: a composite-bodied, corrosion-resistant extinguisher built to last 20 years with no annual engineer servicing required. The P50 is one of the most significant cost-saving innovations in fire safety provision for UK businesses.
A standard portable fire extinguisher for business use requires an annual engineer visit, a five-year extended service, and eventual replacement. The P50 requires only a simple six-monthly check by a nominated member of staff. Clients who switch to the P50 save an average of over £1,000 per year in servicing costs and typically reduce their overall extinguisher count by 30 to 40 per cent by replacing multiple units with correctly specified P50 models.
The P50 is available in water mist, AFFF foam, CO², and dry powder variants. Our University of Brighton installation across three campuses is a case study in the scale of savings achievable for large educational estates.
Our Fire Extinguisher Service
Tower Fire provides a complete fire extinguisher supply UK and maintenance service covering every stage from initial survey and selection through to annual servicing and staff training.
Site survey and selection advice: identifying the correct extinguisher types, quantities, and positioning for your premises in accordance with BS 5306-8 and your fire risk assessment
Supply and on-site commissioning: every extinguisher is commissioned on-site before installation, as required by BS 5306
Annual servicing: our fire extinguisher servicing UK service covers basic annual service, extended service at the required intervals, recharge where required, and replacement at end of service life
P50 supply and installation: as official Britannia P50 suppliers, we carry out full P50 installation programmes for businesses looking to eliminate annual servicing costs
Staff training: practical instruction in correct extinguisher identification, selection, and safe use using the PASS method (Pull, Aim, Squeeze, Sweep)
Multi-site contracts: single agreements covering supply, commissioning, and servicing across all sites in a portfolio
Why Choose Tower Fire for Your Fire Extinguishers?
Tower Fire’s approach to fire extinguisher provision is grounded in genuine fire safety expertise. Our active and retired professional firefighters understand how extinguishers perform under real fire conditions. That knowledge shapes every selection recommendation we make and every training session we deliver.back to you as soon as possible!