In the UK, extinguishers made to BS EN 3 have a red body, with a coloured band or panel that shows the type at a glance.
- Red (no band) – water, including water with additive. Some branded special products, such as Firexo, should be treated as water additive extinguishers.
- Cream – foam
- Black – CO2
- Blue – dry powder
- Yellow – wet chemical
- White – water mist
- Green – often used for clean agent extinguishers
Old-Style Coloured Extinguishers
Older extinguishers where the whole body is a colour other than red (a black CO2, a blue powder, a cream foam and so on) were made to BS 5423, which was replaced many years ago. They're likely to be too old to rely on. Have them checked by a competent engineer, and expect them to need replacing.
A Note on Green Labels
Because of environmental concerns about PFAS ("forever chemicals"), many fluorine-free foam, water additive, wet chemical and lithium-ion extinguishers now carry green symbols to show their "green" credentials. This is outside the scope of BS EN 3 and isn't an official colour code.
Whatever the colour, always check the label. It shows the extinguisher type, the fire classes it covers and how to use it. An identification sign above each extinguisher helps people pick the right one quickly.
Worth remembering… your fire risk assessment is what decides the equipment your premises need. This guide is general advice, not a substitute for it.
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