Methods to Improve the Design of Household Fire Extinguishers through an Empirical Analysis of Consumer Compatibility
Households are categorized as exceptions in the Fire Services Act; oftentimes, the ‘Golden Time’ is missed at the early stages of a fire, resulting in loss of life. As such, due to the high number of deaths caused by household fires, the Korean government amended the Fire Services Act to make it mandatory for all detached houses to be equipped with a fire extinguisher from 2017 onwards. Only 34.8% of households were properly equipped with a fire extinguisher, according to the 2018 factual survey on fire extinguishing facilities in households conducted by the Fire Department. Fire extinguishers are crucial in case of fire but many households avoid them because they are red and have a rough aesthetic, which does not suit the household environment. There is now a need for diverse simple fire extinguisher designs so that they can be used as interior décor in the household in the day-to-day while being available for putting out a fire when necessary. If fire extinguishers have designs that go well with any household space like other decorative ornaments, this will greatly increase consumers’ motivation to purchase them. It is greatly anticipated that various companies will work on developing designs for fire extinguishers to commercialize them for households in the future.