Fire Extinguishers on the Farm

Fire extinguishers save lives and personal property and that is why, Usborne & Hibbert Mutual Insurance recommends fire extinguishers in all buildings, along with having them on your self- propelled farm equipment.
Fire extinguishers should be conveniently located near an exit door and mounted where it can be easily removed. Ensure you, your family members, and your employees know where extinguishers are kept and how to use them. The acronym PASS makes using an extinguisher easy to remember.

• P – Pull the pin
• A – Aim the hose
• S – Squeeze the trigger
• S – Sweep at the base of the fire

Having fire extinguishers available can save lives, property, reduce down time and the headache of having to repair or replace equipment when you need it the most. Fires usually start small from shorted wiring, bad hot bearings, or overheated commodities lying on your machinery. If caught quickly and you have a fire extinguisher readily available you can save yourself a lot of stress.

Keeping your equipment clean and well maintained helps to ensure no down time. When you are servicing your equipment don’t forget to also service your fire extinguishers. Take the extinguisher off the holding bracket; wipe it clean; check the gauge to make sure it is in the green; make sure the pin is in place to ensure no accidental discharge occurs; lastly check the last time it was serviced. The NFPA standard recommends fire extinguishers are serviced every five to six years. At Usborne & Hibbert Mutual we provide half price fire extinguishers and recharging is free to our policyholders. If you would like more information about this service please contact our office 519-235-0350.