Can each fire extinguisher placement point have only one fire extinguisher?
We often see the issue listed in various hazard exposure and rectification lists: "Fire extinguishers are not placed in groups," and some experts have also raised this question. Is this statement correct?
National Standard GB 55036-2022, "General Specification for Fire Protection Facilities," states in section 10.0.3: "A calculation unit shall have no fewer than two fire extinguishers." Note that this refers to a calculation unit, not a placement point!
In other words, a calculation unit only needs to have at least two fire extinguishers, such as a storefront or a corridor. There is no requirement of at least two extinguishers per placement point.
However, the "Fire Safety Requirements for Public Gathering Places" issued by the Fire and Rescue Bureau of the Ministry of Emergency Management requires that each fire extinguisher placement point should have no fewer than two and preferably no more than five fire extinguishers.
Public gathering places refer to indoor venues open to the public and with commercial operation, including hotels, restaurants, shopping malls, markets, passenger station waiting rooms, passenger terminal waiting halls, civil airport terminals, stadiums, auditoriums, and public entertainment venues.
In summary, apart from public gathering places, there are currently no national standards requiring fire extinguishers to be placed in groups. The misplacement of fire extinguishers in groups stems from conceptual confusion. The correct requirement is no more than 5 extinguishers per location and no less than 2 extinguishers per unit. Therefore, sometimes placing only one fire extinguisher at a location is not a safety hazard.
However, consultations with the Fire and Rescue Bureau, including routine expert inspections, consistently require 2 extinguishers per location. Therefore, considering all factors, each fire extinguisher location should have at least 2 extinguishers and no more than 5.
The reason for using two extinguishers is primarily that, in the event of a fire, the simultaneous use of two extinguishers greatly facilitates the rapid and effective extinguishing of initial fires. Additionally, the two extinguishers can serve as backups; even if one fails, the other can still be used normally. The reason for limiting the number of extinguishers to no more than five is primarily based on practical firefighting considerations. In the event of a fire, many people may simultaneously participate in emergency firefighting operations. If too many people arrive at the same fire extinguisher location to retrieve extinguishers, and many people carry only one extinguisher to the same fire, it will cause interference, making the scene chaotic and hindering firefighting efforts.
Furthermore, having too many extinguishers at one location risks resembling a fire extinguisher exhibition. Moreover, the dimensions of the extinguisher boxes, hooks, and brackets designed to hold an excessive number of extinguishers would be too large, occupying a significant amount of space, which is detrimental to normal office, production, and living conditions.
