CEO, Firewize
15 Jun, 2021
Selecting the correct type of fire extinguisher for a truck in Australia is paramount to ensuring your safety and protecting your truck and its occupants safe from the effect from fire. Chapter 12 of the Australian Dangerous Goods Code, 2020 sets out the requirements for safety equipment for every road vehicle, including trucks.
Broadly speaking the requirement for a fire extinguisher for a truck are as follows;
The requirements for fire extinguishers vary for each of these applications so let's break it down for each application.
Every week Firewize hosts a free fire extinguisher service clinic. When you arrive for your booking a friendly member of our team will greet you and conduct the service. When we complete the service, we will mark the fire extinguisher service record, completing the service.
The selection of a portable fire extinguisher for a truck is covered by Australian Dangerous Goods Code 2020. The best type of fire extinguisher for a truck depends on the type of load being carried by the truck. All trucks carrying dangerous goods including non-flammable goods and flammable goods require at least one type of portable fire extinguisher.
Our selection guide (below) for each type of dangerous good being transported outlines the fire extinguisher requirements depending on the type of load and volume of dangerous goods being carried.
As a minimum a dry powder fire extinguisher with a 30B rating should be installed within the cabin of the truck with other fire extinguishers being mounted using a secure quick-release bracket at the front of each trailer transporting a placarded load.
For trucks carrying flammable goods, they will require at least two fire extinguishers per trailer including a dry powder fire extinguisher and a foam fire extinguisher.
Trucks carrying all types of dangerous goods (as set out below) are required to carry a portable fire extinguisher with a minimum rating of 30B and mounted within the cabin of the truck or at the front of any trailer transporting a placard load.
This requirement applies to trucks carrying all types of dangerous goods packed in;
The Firewize 2A:30B:E Dry Chemical Powder fire extinguisher is an ideal choice to satisfy this requirement as the fire extinguisher has a 2A:30B:E rating satisfying this requirement. The fire extinguisher is also supplied with a sturdy vehicle mounting bracket with a quick release feature.
We also recommend that people choose a fire extinguisher with a hose (instead of a nozzle) to control the direction of the flow of the extinguishing agent from the fire extinguisher.
With a discharge time of 12 seconds, an agent capacity of 1.5Kg and gross mass of 3.0Kg, this is by far the most popular fire extinguisher for smaller vehicle in Australia due to its combination of build quality, performance, gross weight, physical size, easy handling and use.
If you are in need of the detail, you can read our article What type of fire extinguisher for my truck carrying dangerous goods? which has specific information about the legislation across Australia for the type and rating of fire extinguishers for road vehicles including trucks. In certain circumstances multiple fire extinguishers may be required.
Trucks carrying non-flammable dangerous goods (as set out below) are required to carry a portable fire extinguisher with a minimum rating of either 1 x 60B or 2 x 30B dry powder portable fire extinguishers, mounted in the load area AND 1 x 10B dry powder fire extinguisher mounted within the cabin of the truck.
This requirement applies to trucks carrying non-flammable goods packed in;
The Firewize 6A:80B:C:E Dry Chemical Powder fire extinguisher is an ideal choice to satisfy this requirement as the fire extinguisher has a 80B rating more than satisfying this requirement. The fire extinguisher is also available to purchase in combination with a sturdy vehicle mounting bracket with a quick release feature.
Given these fire extinguishers are generally stored outside and in an aggressive environment, we also strongly recommend installing the fire extinguisher with a thick and durable protective cover to prevent the fire extinguisher from damage and contamination.
Trucks carrying flammable dangerous goods (as set out below) are required to carry at least three portable fire extinguishers with a minimum rating as follows;
In cases of combination vehicles, these directions apply to every separate trailer transporting a placard load.
Each fire extinguisher provided by Firewzie also comes free with the following FOUR essential items for truck owner or operator;
Fire extinguishers are also available for purchase with a truck mounting bracket with a quick release feature and protective extinguisher cover.
Each portable fire extinguisher is guaranteed against defects in materials and manufacturing workmanship for a maximum period of three years in non-aggressive environments from the manufacture date stamped on the cylinder.
Often truck fleet managers and drivers contact us requesting more information about the dimensions of our 4.5Kg ABC(E) Dry Powder Fire extinguisher and combination bracket. We know this combination often needs to fit in a very tight place, is secure and protected from damage.
The combination of a 4.5Kg high performance dry powder fire extinguisher with heavy duty bracket is perfect to all types of heavy vehicles including trucks, tractors and caravans.
With its 6A:80B:C:E rating this fire extinguisher has significantly better fire fighting performance than most of the fire extinguishers with a similar capacity (4.5Kg) fire extinguishers available in the market.
