Fire Extinguisher Servicing
Fire
extinguishers
require stringent maintenance to ensure they will work when
needed, or are more importantly, safe. Fire extinguishers are
pressurised vessels that can explode when corroded or damaged,
and have been know to cause serious injury and even death.
There are 2 types of maintenance procedures:
 |
Basic
inspection by the user; and |
 |
Maintenance
by competent person. |
1.
British Standard 5306-3:2000 covers the maintenance of
portable fire extinguishers, and recommends that “regular
visual inspections of all portable fire extinguishers be carried
out by the user or user’s representative. The frequency of
inspections by the user should be not less than monthly and,
when circumstances require, inspections should be carried out
more frequently”.
Inspections should include checks that each extinguisher:
 |
Is located in the designated place; |
 |
Is unobstructed, visible and its operating instructions
face outwards; |
 |
Has operating instructions which are clean and legible; |
 |
Is not obviously damaged; |
 |
Has a reading in the operable range or position of any
pressure gauge or indicator fitted; |
 |
Has seals and tamper indicators which are not broken or
missing. |
2.
Maintenance should be carried out by a competent person
(usually a specialist contractor) 12 months after installation
of a new extinguisher, and at 12 monthly intervals thereafter.
The following chart shows the basic types & frequency of
maintenance:
|
Extinguisher type |
Basic service |
Extended service |
Overhaul & recharge |
|
Water & foam |
Annually |
5 yearly |
|
|
Powder |
Annually |
5 yearly |
|
|
CO2 |
Annually |
5 yearly |
10 yearly |
If you require fire extinguisher servicing please
fill in the
servicing fire extinguishers
form and we will get in touch.
|