Fire Safety Guides
It is vital that you understand these simple guidelines to maintaining fire extinguishers so that you can ensure your protection in the event of a fire. Below are some industry top tips regarding the maintenance of fire extinguishers.
Do you know the regulations for the maintenance of your fire extinguishers?
In a fire outbreak, a fire extinguisher that fails to operate is not only useless, but wastes valuable time. A simple visual inspection at random when at work could possibly save lives in the future.
The use of fire extinguishers should also be included in training. Fire extinguishers should only be operated by those with appropriate training, and only against small fires.
Read on to find out more about how to perform a visual inspection on a fire extinguisher and any guidance you must follow if you discover an issue. Read on to find out more about performing fire extinguisher maintenance or get in touch with our experienced fire safety experts today.
Fire extinguisher laws
The requirement and maintenance of fire extinguishers is detailed by the Regulatory Reform Fire Safety Order. This legislation stipulates that fire extinguisher maintenance should be suitably maintained by a competent person, described as someone with fire safety training, equipment and experience, once per year at a minimum.
A large number of insurance companies now insist on BAFE (British Approvals for Fire Equipment) approved firefighting equipment. Businesses should provide portable firefighting equipment to ensure that fires can be combatted before the fire brigade arrives. 80% of all fires are dealt with before emergency services arrive.
With the importance of fire extinguisher equipment in mind, all servicing of fire safety extinguisher equipment should follow the BS5306-3: 2009 British Standards. This ensures the functionality of fire extinguishers and the safety of use. A competent technician will enforce the availability of appropriate fire extinguishers, considering all relevant risks and safety guidance.
How often should fire extinguishers be serviced?
At the point of installation, fire extinguishers must be assembled correctly, with a number of checks assessments made to ensure correct working order from the start. This is known as fire extinguisher commissioning.
Following the commission, a label for maintenance should be attached to the extinguisher with the following information printed:
Monthly inspections should also be conducted by an on-site member in order to ensure spot any obvious issues.
Monthly fire extinguisher maintenance: what to check for:
Failing to maintain fire extinguishers and all fire safety equipment adds needless risk to your property. Upon discovering damage to a fire extinguisher, you should report to the competent person and seek assistance from an engineer to repair or replace the faulty equipment. Sensor fire provides a free no-obligation site survey. Get in touch with our experienced fire safety experts to find out more.
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