Fire Extinguisher

Synonyms / Other Terms Used

Foam Extinguisher, Dry Powder Extinguisher, Handheld Extinguisher, Extinguisher

Categories

Safety Signs, Regulations, Fire Equipment

Message / Function

To indicate the location of a fire extinguisher and/or to identify a fire extinguisher

	Source	Description
	ISO 7010	Cylinder fire extinguisher with label and tap adjacent to flames
	CRRC	Cylinder fire extinguisher with label and tap adjacent to flames
	HSSS	Cylinder fire extinguisher with flared nozzle above flames
	ÖBB 2007	Cylinder fire extinguisher with label and tap adjacent to flames
	UIC 413 b	Cylinder fire extinguisher plus extinguishing jet penetrating flames
	McLaren & Braunstein	Cylinder fire extinguisher plus extinguishing jet shown as dots, partially surrounding flames
	ISO 7010	Bottle on wheeled cart (profile), flame determinant
	Dreyfuss	Cylinder fire extinguisher with label and flared nozzle pointing downwards
	Eco-Mo Foundation	Cylinder fire extinguisher with hose
	Ultimate Symbol	Cylinder fire extinguisher with hose
	EJP	Cylinder fire extinguisher with hose
	UNI 7543	Cylinder fire extinguisher with hose
	Collins 82	Cylinder fire extinguisher with hose
	Smitshuijzen	Cylinder fire extinguisher with hose, all slanted
	KennV	Cylinder fire extinguisher with handle and hose
	AIGA	Cylinder fire extinguisher with flared nozzle
	PANYNJ	Cylinder fire extinguisher with flared nozzle
	92/58/EEC	Cylinder fire extinguisher with tap
	ISO 7000	Cylinder fire extinguisher with label and tap
	Lanit	Cylinder fire extinguisher with flared nozzle, all in outline
	Mater Dei	Cylinder fire extinguisher in outline
	Swiss Post	Red F and cylinder fire extinguisher with flared nozzle
	Switzerland	F on red ground

Discussion

In many countries signs used to indicate the location of a fire extinguisher and all other fire fighting related signs are presented in white color on a red background, but in some also on a green background, and a few applications even exist in brown. The collection above is focused on comparing pictograms, therefore - with few exceptions - we mostly show them in black and white.

Testing of symbols or pictograms also not consistently happened in black and white or white on red ground, so data cannot be compared without carefully regarding testing conditions:

Brugger (1999) examined six pictogram variants using the Comprehensibility Estimation method. In this study conducted in Austria with stimuli presented in black and white, symbol No 014 of ISO 7001 (now No. F001 of ISO 7010) was judged as most comprehensible symbol. All other variants reached significantly lower estimates. Some subjects noted that the lowest scoring pictogram (labeled as KennV) might be confounded with other kinds of containers such as a siphon-bottle.

These findings confirm the results of the ISO test-series of the years 1979/80 (Easterby & Graydon, 1981), where a variant of a fire extinguishers with flames achieved the best ranking and also was understood better than all other variants.

In research limited to safety signs mainly among blue collar industrial workers, most renderings of a cylinder fire extinguisher examined were well understood (e.g. Collins et.al, 1979, 1982, Collins, 1983, Lerner & Collins, 1980, Olgyay, 1996).

Data regarding safety signs available from the Eco-Mo Foundation (2001) is based on a multiple choice format with only four possible choices and completely unreasonable distractors. Under such conditions results with correct responses close to 100 % are to be expected, even if the symbol used is far from perfect. The pictogram labeled Eco-Mo Foundation reached a score 99.3 in that study.

In more recent research by Hung & Tan (2024) the pictogram labeled CRRC, but colored in red, was part of the material used to study factors of sign comprehension. Since 89 % of the answers could be classified as correct, this variant conforming to the image content according to No F001 of ISO 7010, proved to be well comprehensible among the sixty-five students who participated in this study.

In some countries the use of the letter F is or was obligatory to indicate the location of a fire extinguisher or other fire fighting equipment. This does not make sense from a cross-cultural point of view.

Recommendation

pictogram No F001 of ISO 7010: Fire Extinguisher

Based on the test results known, pictogram Reference No F001 of ISO 7010 (formerly No 014 of ISO 7001) should be used to signify the location of a fire extinguisher.

Tests of pictograms for the referent Fire Extinguisher

Brugger: Ch. (1999): Verständnisschätzungen - Projekt 1999. Report to the Austrian Standards Institute dated December 1999.

Collins, B.L. (1983): Use of Hazard Pictorials/Symbols in the Mineral Industry. Washington, D.C.: National Bureau of Standards, NBSIR 83-2732, September 1983.

Collins, B.L., Lerner, N.D. & Pierman, B.C. (1982): Symbols for Industrial Safety. Washington, D.C.: National Bureau of Standards, NBSIR 82-2485, April 1982.

Collins, B.L. & Pierman, B.C. (1979): Evaluation of Safety Symbols. Washington, D.C.: National Bureau of Standards, NBSIR 79-1760, June 1979.

Easterby, R.S. & Graydon, I.R. (1981): Evaluation of Public Information Symbols: ISO Test: 1979/80 Series. Part I: Appropriateness Ranking Tests. AP Report 99, Applied Psychology Department, University of Aston in Birmingham, January 1981.

Easterby, R.S. & Graydon, I.R. (1981): Evaluation of Public Information Symbols: ISO 1979/80 Test Series. Part II: Comprehension/Recognition Tests. AP Report 100, Applied Psychology Department, University of Aston in Birmingham, January 1981.

Eco-Mo Foundation (2001): Test data of public information symbols in Japan - Procedure for the testing of public information symbols by the Study Committee. ISO: ISO/TC 145/SC 1 N 329.

Hung Y-H & Tan Y. (2024): How symbol and text combine to promote sign comprehension: Evidence from eye-tracking. Displays. 83, 102709. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.displa.2024.102709

Lerner, N.D. & Collins, B.L. (1980): The Assessment of Safety Symbol Understandability By Different Testing Methods. Washington, D.C.: National Bureau of Standards, NBSIR 80-2088, August 1980.

Olgyay, N. (1996): Safety Symbols Art: The Testing Protocol, Materials & Results. Foci Studio, Washington, DC.