A construction site has a 2,500 square foot building under construction. What is the minimum number of 2A:10BC fire extinguishers required?
Correct Answer
D) 3
OSHA requires one 2A:10BC fire extinguisher for every 3,000 square feet of building area under construction, but with a minimum spacing that would require 3 extinguishers for adequate coverage of a 2,500 sq ft area.
Why This Is the Correct Answer
OSHA requires one 2A:10BC fire extinguisher for every 3,000 square feet of building area under construction. However, the spacing requirements mandate that extinguishers be placed so that travel distance to reach one does not exceed 100 feet. For a 2,500 square foot building, proper coverage and accessibility requires a minimum of 3 extinguishers to ensure no point in the building is more than 100 feet from an extinguisher. This accounts for both the square footage requirement and the maximum travel distance requirement.
Why the Other Options Are Wrong
Option A: 1
Two extinguishers may still leave areas of the building where workers would need to travel more than 100 feet to reach an extinguisher, failing to meet OSHA's maximum travel distance requirements.
Option B: 2
One extinguisher would not provide adequate coverage for a 2,500 sq ft area, as workers could be more than 100 feet away from the single extinguisher location, violating OSHA spacing requirements.
Option C: 4
Four extinguishers would exceed the minimum requirement and, while not unsafe, would be unnecessary and costly for a 2,500 sq ft building area.
Memory Technique
Remember '3-100 Rule': 3,000 sq ft per extinguisher AND 100 feet maximum travel distance. When in doubt, sketch the building layout and check if anyone would walk more than 100 feet to reach an extinguisher.
Reference Hint
OSHA Construction Standards 29 CFR 1926.150 - Fire Protection, specifically subsection (c) regarding portable fire extinguishers
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