This poster is explaining one of the most important rules in fire safety placement - Travel Distance.

 This poster is explaining one of the most important rules in fire safety placement - Travel Distance.

What is Travel Distance?

It's NOT how far the extinguisher is from the fire. It's the maximum distance a person has to walk from where they normally work to reach an extinguisher when a fire starts.

It's measured by the actual walking path - around desks, machines, pallets, walls - not a straight line through walls. That's why the poster says "The right extinguisher, within reach, can stop a small fire from becoming a big one."

The 3 Occupancy Types and Their Limits

The middle graphic shows a worker at "Your normal working position" and how far he has to walk to get an extinguisher. The limit changes based on the type of workplace:

1. General occupancy - 9 m (30 ft)

Buildings, offices, shops, schools. This has the shortest distance because there are more people, often not trained in firefighting, and lots of combustible materials like paper, furniture.

2. Industrial occupancy - 18 m (60 ft)

Industrial premises, warehouses, etc. Slightly longer allowance.

3. High hazard occupancy - 27 m (90 ft)

Chemical, oil & gas, flammable materials, etc. This is the longest distance on this poster. These sites usually have other suppression systems and specialized extinguishers.

For you as HSE, the rule is: In an office area, no one should have to walk more than 9m to find an extinguisher. In a warehouse, no more than 18m.

How to read the diagram

Look at the worker on the left:

Green dotted line 9 m - that's the nearest extinguisher. This would comply for ALL occupancy types.

Blue dotted line 18 m - the middle extinguisher. This would only comply for Industrial and High Hazard, it would FAIL for General occupancy.

Red dotted line 27 m - the farthest extinguisher, near the fire. This would only comply for High Hazard.

So you need to place enough extinguishers that the distance requirement is met everywhere people work.

The Key Points at the bottom

This is what you audit for:

Keep within distance: Map your floor and walk it. If you have to walk more than the max for that area, you need another extinguisher.

Clear and unobstructed access: No boxes, trolleys, locked doors in front of it. This is the most common failure I see in warehouses.

Right type for the fire: Travel distance means nothing if you have a water extinguisher next to an electrical panel. Match the class - CO2, dry powder, foam, etc.

Inspection and maintenance: Monthly visual check by you, annual servicing by a competent person, pressure gauge in green.

Everyone knows location and use: Signage above it, location on evacuation map, and hands-on training. An extinguisher no one can find or use is just wall decoration.

And the final box says it all: "A fire extinguisher is only effective if you can reach it in time! Closer is safer!"

Quick tip for your site walk: Stand at any workstation, ask "can I see an extinguisher or its sign?" If not, measure your walking steps to the nearest one. If it's more than ∼12 big steps in an office, you likely have a gap. ⚠️🌡️🗼🚥🚧🦺🚦⛑️🏗️