What Is a Fire Safety Stick and Why Should You Carry One?
Fire extinguishers are one of those things you hope you'll never have to use.
But when you're working with vans, engines, electrical equipment, fuel, hot machinery or expensive kit, having something close to hand if a fire starts makes a lot of sense.
The Fire Safety Stick offers a different approach to the traditional fire extinguisher. It's compact, lightweight, non-pressurised and designed to tackle a wide range of fires without covering everything nearby in powder, foam or corrosive residue.
For tradespeople in particular, that makes it an interesting bit of kit to keep in the van or around your equipment.
What Is a Fire Safety Stick?
Despite its size, the Fire Safety Stick is a handheld fire suppression device designed for tackling small fires before they have the opportunity to spread.
Unlike a conventional fire extinguisher, there is no pressurised cylinder, gauge or liquid inside.
Once activated, the Fire Safety Stick produces a potassium-based aerosol that interferes with the chemical chain reaction taking place within the fire.
In simple terms, instead of soaking or smothering the fire with a large quantity of extinguishing material, it works directly at the flame to interrupt combustion.
The result is a surprisingly compact unit that can provide a much longer discharge time than you might expect from something of its size.
🔥 See the Fire Stick in Action
50 or 100 Seconds of Fire Suppression
There are two main versions of the Fire Safety Stick:
FSS50 – minimum 50-second discharge
FSS100 – minimum 100-second discharge
That gives you considerably more time to tackle a developing fire than the physical size of the unit might suggest.
At Rutland Pumps, we stock both versions, with the FSS100 particularly suited to work vans and larger mobile setupswhere additional discharge time can be useful.
Suitable for Different Types of Fire
One of the main advantages of the Fire Safety Stick is its versatility.
Independent testing supplied by the manufacturer covers fires involving:
Class A – solid combustible materials such as wood, paper and textiles
Class B – flammable liquids such as petrol, diesel and oils
Class C – flammable gases
Class F – cooking oils and fats
It has also been independently tested for use on electrical fires at voltages up to 100,000 volts.
For someone carrying a mixture of fuel, electrical equipment, machinery and other materials in a work vehicle, being able to carry one compact device suitable for several different fire types is particularly useful.
No Pressurised Cylinder
Traditional extinguishers rely on stored pressure to discharge their contents.
The Fire Safety Stick doesn't.
Its non-pressurised construction means there is no pressure gauge to monitor and no risk of gradually losing pressure while it is stored.
That also makes it well suited to life in a work van, where equipment is regularly subjected to movement and vibration.
When you need it, you remove the protective cap, strike the activator and direct the discharge towards the fire.
No Powder or Foam Everywhere Afterwards
If you've ever seen a dry powder extinguisher discharged, you'll know that putting the fire out isn't necessarily the end of the problem.
Powder gets everywhere.
For a tradesperson with a van full of tools, electrical equipment or machinery, the clean-up and secondary damage can be significant.
The Fire Safety Stick doesn't discharge a large quantity of powder, foam or liquid and is designed to leave virtually no residue behind.
That's particularly valuable around engines, electrical equipment and expensive machinery where you don't want the method used to stop a small fire causing unnecessary damage of its own.
A 15-Year Shelf Life
Another major difference is maintenance.
Fire Safety Stick states that its units have a 15-year shelf life, based on testing of products that had been manufactured 15 years previously.
Because there is no pressurised cylinder, valve or conventional extinguisher mechanism, it doesn't require the same annual professional servicing as a traditional fire extinguisher.
A regular visual condition check is still recommended, particularly when the unit is carried in a working vehicle or other demanding environment.
For someone who simply wants fire protection available in their van or around their equipment, that's a significant practical advantage.
Small Enough to Keep Where You Need It
The other obvious advantage is its size.
Fire safety equipment isn't much use if it gets removed from the van because it's constantly in the way, or if it's buried underneath equipment when you actually need it.
The Fire Safety Stick takes up very little space and can be mounted somewhere easily accessible.
That makes it particularly suitable for:
- work vans
- pressure washing and exterior cleaning setups
- mobile machinery
- workshops
- garages
- cars and 4x4s
- motorhomes and caravans
- boats
- agricultural equipment
- home garages and sheds
For many Rutland Pumps customers, we'd particularly recommend considering one anywhere you're operating petrol or diesel engines, boilers, generators, pumps or electrical equipment.
Fire Protection for Your Van Is About More Than the Van
For a sole trader, a work van often contains far more than the value of the vehicle itself.
There might be thousands of pounds worth of pressure washing equipment, pumps, hose reels, tools and other machinery inside.
More importantly, it's your livelihood.
A relatively small fire around an engine, electrical component or fuel system can very quickly turn into something much more serious.
Having a compact fire suppression device somewhere you can reach quickly gives you an option if a small, manageable fire develops.
Of course, personal safety comes first. If a fire is already established, spreading rapidly or cannot be tackled safely, get clear and call the emergency services.
Does a Fire Safety Stick Replace a Conventional Fire Extinguisher?
This depends on where and why it is being used. It is not a replacement where a specific type of extinguisher is legally required.
The Fire Safety Stick carries UKCA and CE marking and has undergone independent fire-performance testing. However, it is not certified to BS EN3, the British/European standard written specifically around conventional portable pressurised fire extinguishers.
For a private vehicle or as additional fire protection, that distinction may not affect your reason for carrying one.
For workplaces, commercial premises or vehicles subject to specific fire-safety requirements, the firefighting equipment you provide should be appropriate to your fire-risk assessment and any regulations that apply to your operation.
The Fire Safety Stick is therefore best considered as part of your wider fire-safety provision rather than assuming that one product automatically satisfies every regulatory requirement.
Hopefully You'll Never Need It
A Fire Safety Stick isn't the most exciting piece of equipment you'll put in your van.
And ideally, you'll own one for 15 years and never activate it.
But when your vehicle and equipment are how you earn your living, carrying something that takes up very little space and gives you the ability to respond to a developing fire is worth thinking about.
Rutland Pumps stocks both the 50-second and 100-second Fire Safety Stick, with options suitable for vans, mobile equipment, workshops and other applications.
Take a look at the Fire Safety Stick range at Rutland Pumps and choose the version that suits your setup.