Fire Extinguishers
Portable fire extinguishers in the U.K. have in the past been manufactured to BS 5423:1987 which gave several options for the colour.
However, a harmonised European Standard was published on 15 May 1996. This standard, BS EN3:1996 allows only one option. That is that all fire extinguishers should be red in colour but a zone of up to 5% of the external area may be coloured to indicate the type of extinguishing medium.
The fire extinguisher colours may be in "accordance with National Specifications". In the U.K. this allows the existing colour scheme to be used for the 5% indication area. The BS EN will apply to the manufacture of new fire extinguishers and the old BS 5423 was withdrawn at the end of 1996. Existing equipment will not need to be changed until they are replaced when they become unserviceable.
The colours currently used on fire extinguishers in the U.K are as follows:
| Red (Water) |
Blue (Power) |
Cream (Foam) |
Black (Carbon Dioxide) |
|---|---|---|---|
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 |
 |
 |
| For wood, paper, textile and solid material fires | For liquid and electic fires | For use on liquid fires | For liquid and electrical fires |
| Do not use on liquid, electrical or metal fres | Do not use on metal fires | Do not use on electrical or metal fires | Do not use on metal fires |