Within an apartment building or complex having a fire extinguisher readily available is critical to ensure hazards throughout the property are protected. The most effective way of achieving suitable protection is limiting the distance one has to travel to find a fire extinguisher.
One of the most severe and common risks of fire in a Class 2 (Multi-Storey Residential) buildings is the hazard presented by common household things such as batteries, electrical appliances and kitchen fires.
This is why it is so vital that all occupants don’t have to travel far in the event of a sole occupancy fire. The further an extinguisher is from the fire hazard the greater chance the fire will be out of control before an occupant can locate and return with the device.
This is why it is a mandatory requirement to have a fire extinguisher located within 10 meters of every sole occupancy door throughout each floor of an apartment building.
Prior to 2014 the National Construction Code did not clearly specify this requirement instead opting for a total floor areas calculation in line with the rating selection of extinguishers.
This often resulted in unprotected floors within buildings due to poor interpretations by installers and other building professionals. Ultimately the change was made in 2014 to specify the exact distances from Apartment doors that extinguishers need to be.
