Depending on what you are doing, a 2kg CO2 extinguisher will cover small fires and leave no mess. A 2kg powder extinguisher costs less and would fight a bigger fire but may leave a bit of a mess. If you are roofing or there is a higher fire risk, a 6kg powder extinguisher is going to be more man for the job.

You need to have two extinguishers on each floor level for a property of that size. The area is the entire floor area, not just the communal areas. I would recommend 6 litre water spray extinguishers for the floor areas as they are safe to use, easy to handle and contain no additives (making it cost less to refill and environmentally friendly). For the electrical cupboard, a 2kg CO2 extinguisher will suffice.

I hope that answers your question.

thanks in advance lee

On the other hand, you can call a local servicing company to come and commission check them (any company will do this, no matter where you bought them from) and it will still probably cost much less than buying them from a traditional supplier.

If you are buying online, make sure that the manufacturer is a long established UK based one. If the web site does not tell you who makes their extinguishers, the chances are that they are Chinese imports. These are perfectly legal, may be kitemarked and have a 5-year warranty but would you trust buying those when the manufacturer has only been making them for two years and the supplier started trading at Christmas?

Always look for quality, high levels of online feedback and real people that answer telephones when buying online.

You need one 13A rated extinguisher per 200 sq metres (2000 sq feet) of floor area per floor and, as you store plastics and card, I’d recommend water-based extinguishers. If you pick one of the water spray models then they can be safe near machines. If you have electrical fire risks in some areas, have a CO2 extinguisher alongside it. Water and CO2 will also be good for the offices.

As for replacing, the extinguishers need servicing each year (Fire Regs) by a proper extinguisher servicing company and, after 5 years, the water ones will need discharge testing and refilling. It is probably going to cost less to replace them at that point if you buy at online prices. The CO2 ones will last 10 years before they need testing or replacing. If a refill is needed, check what the total cost of refill + parts + labour + visit charge is and see if it costs less to replace (it probably will)

You need one 13A rated extinguisher per 200 sq metres (2000 sq feet) of floor area per floor. The best one for a pet shop would be the non-toxic, non-additive water spray fire extinguisher. In addition, you should also have a 2kg CO2 extinguisher to cover electrical fires. That combination will cover most retail premises.

Another alternative is to use a Dorgard to prop open the door legally and then have it shut automatically if the fire alarm goes off.

It is possible that the hotel is ot complying with the Fire Safety Order. If he does not have a written fire risk assessment in accordance with the http://www.fireextinguisherguide.co.uk/2008/08/04/uk-fire-safety-regulations/ and there are 5 or more employees, then, yes, he is breaking the law. In that assessment, fire safety signage should be covered to ensure the building complies. Your county Fire Service may have a whistleblower anonymous phone number if you feel that staff and residents lives are potentially being put at risk.