Article 13 of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 requires the responsible person to equip the premises with appropriate firefighting equipment where necessary, and to make sure it is easily accessible, simple to use and indicated by signs. It does not say how many or which. That comes out of the fire risk assessment, which is why a rule of thumb from a supplier is not the answer.
How the number is worked out
By floor area and by risk, then by travel distance. The recognised guidance works to a minimum provision per floor and a maximum distance somebody should have to walk to reach an extinguisher, which in practice puts one at each exit and more wherever a specific risk sits. Counting extinguishers without walking the route somebody would take is how buildings end up with six in the entrance and none by the plant room.
Siting that helps rather than hinders
On escape routes and by exits, so reaching one moves you towards the way out. At the same height and in the same relationship to the door on every floor, so people find them without looking. Clear of storage, which is the thing that changes week to week. And near the specific risk for the specific type, which is why the wet chemical unit is by the fryer and not in the corridor.
Mounting and access
Wall mounted with the handle at a height people can reach and lift from, or on a stand where the unit is heavy or the wall will not take it. Not behind a door, not in a cupboard, not under a coat. The Order asks for equipment that is easily accessible and simple to use, and a unit that has to be moved before it can be used fails both.
Signs and records
A sign above each one so it is visible along a corridor. A monthly visual check, recorded. An annual service by a competent engineer, recorded. Commissioning for anything new. The record is what shows the article 17 maintenance duty has been met, and it is the first thing asked for after an incident.
What the assessment should tell you
Not just how many, but which types, where, and why. A schedule naming each location, the type and the risk it covers is what you should get from an assessment, because it is what lets a facilities manager check the building against the plan without being a fire specialist.
Questions people ask about fire extinguisher installation
How many fire extinguishers do I need?
It comes from the fire risk assessment, worked out by floor area, the specific risks present and the distance somebody would have to travel to reach one. There is no fixed number in the Order.
Where should fire extinguishers be located?
On escape routes and by exits, consistently on each floor, clear of storage, and near the specific risk for the specific type.
Is a fire extinguisher a legal requirement?
Article 13 requires the premises to be equipped with appropriate firefighting equipment where necessary, easily accessible, simple to use and indicated by signs. The assessment decides what is necessary.
Do extinguishers have to be wall mounted?
Not necessarily. They must be easily accessible and usable, which a stand achieves where a wall will not take the weight or the unit is too heavy to lift from a bracket.