Dashpivot Article – How Often Should Fire Extinguishers Be Inspected?
How Often Should Fire Extinguishers Be Inspected?
Fire at home or in the workplace can be catastrophic and fatal. It covers loss or damage of properties, injuries or death of the manpower, and significant loss time. Fire has three elements - all you need is heat, fuel and oxygen to create it. Oxygen can be found in the air, fuel is from any combustible material that can be found anywhere and when it is ignited by heat can form what is called “the fire triangle”. These three elements can be found in any industry that is why it is mandated that most if not all industrial or commercial buildings should have fire extinguishers. Fire extinguishers are very important that is why it should be inspected to know that it is working well and can be used in case of emergency. One of the first questions any company or facility in charge of maintaining the safety of a space is how often should fire extinguishers be inspected?
You can put out or slow the spread of a fire using fire extinguishers by cooling the object that is burning. It works by letting out a chemical agent that will cool the burning heat, damping down the fuel or remove oxygen so the fire will stop burning essentially breaking the fire triangle.
In this post, we are going to answer the question: “How often should fire extinguishers be instead?” but before that let’s go over the different fire classes the different types of fire extinguisher that is used to extinguish these fires and strategies to inspect the fire.
Fire classification and the different types of fire extinguisher
Class A Fire
Definition: These are the fires that involves ordinary organic and combustible materials like paper, wood, rubber and soft furnishings which are really common in offices.
Type of Extinguisher: Water Fire Extinguisher – is the most common to use on Class A fires. These extinguishers uses water to put out fires. These extinguishers are not so hazardous as it only contains water however since water is a good conductor of electricity this should not be used on electrical fires. You must be careful not to use water fire extinguishers on flammable liquid like gasoline, oil or alcohol as an example since it can spread the fire and make the situation worse.For Class A fire, you can also use Dry Powder Extinguisher, Foam Fire Extinguisher, and Wet Chemical Fire Extinguishers.
Class B Fire
Definition: Fires involving flammable and combustible liquids like oil, petrols, paint, ether, alcohols. These fire hazards are common in industries that has chemical rooms, fuel transfer stations, or chemical storage facilities.
Type of Extinguisher: Dry Powder Fire Extinguisher – this is one of the most common fire extinguisher and it is also known as the ABC extinguisher since it can put out Class A,B and C fires. Dry powder extinguisher uses powder to smother fires and it functions by stopping the chemical reaction of the fire triangle. For Class B Fire, you can also use CO2 fire extinguisher and foam extinguishers.
Class C Fire
Definition: In the UK and Australia, Class C fires are classified as fires are caused by flammable gases like methane found in coal mine industries, acetylene which is commonly used in welding and metal cutting and LPG (liquid petroleum gas) used in fireplaces, heaters and ovens.
In the US, Class C fires are fires caused by burning of electrical equipment.
Type of Extinguisher: For flammable liquid or gas, you can use dry powder extinguishers for this class of fire. You should not use water extinguishers for this as it is of no use and can even worsen the situation since it will cause the fire to spread. For fires that are due to electrical burning use CO2 fire extinguisher as it extinguishes the oxygen. CO2 fire extinguishers are also helpful for flammable liquid.
Class D Fire
Definition: These fires involve combustible metals like magnesium, calcium and potassium. These metals when combined with heat, oxygen, water or air can burn quickly.
Type of Extinguisher: You can use ABC or Dry Powder Fire Extinguisher for this, and make sure not to use water extinguishers as it can worsen the fire.
You can read more about the classes of fire extinguishers in this detailed breakdown article.
What to check and how often should fire extinguishers be inspected?
So, what do you check in a fire extinguisher and how often should it be inspected? Check items for fire extinguishers are the same in most countries.
Visual Inspection of Fire Extinguishers - Regularly, there is a visual inspection of fire extinguishers in the establishment or the workplace. It is where you check the physical condition of the fire extinguisher and look for signs of damage i.e. corrosion, dents, unclear labels or other damage. This should always be conducted with a proper fire extinguisher inspection checklist template.
When the body of the fire extinguisher has sign of corrosion or visible rust, it can be dangerous as it is at risk for leaking and not at all recommended to use however, it will depend on the severity of the rust as some can be scrubbed off easily but you will need a professional to confirm it. The locked pin must be intact, if it is missing then it means it was tampered and must be replaced. Other physical items that need to be inspected are: nozzle – it must not be obstructed, instruction labels must be visible, maintenance label must be updated and legible.
Location or placement of fire extinguishers - The location of the fire extinguisher must be visible and easy to access and it should be near fire points or fire exits or on areas that it is high-risk and flammable materials are found.
Hydrostatic testing is also another inspection which inspects the cylinder’s ability to hold pressure, it is done by filling the tank with fluid and pressurized to check for leaks.
Now, how often should fire extinguishers be inspected? Since it varies from country to country, let’s explore the different regulations being followed by each with regard to fire extinguishers and other firefighting equipment
How Often Should Fire Extinguishers be Inspected in your Region?
How often should fire extinguishers be inspected in the UK?
Fire extinguishers are inspected at least once a month by the fire marshal in the company and serviced at least once a year by a BAFE (British Approvals for Fire Equipment)-registered fire extinguisher engineer. There is a recognised competent individual qualified to conduct the inspection in any business and according to the Fire Safety Regulation, this competent person must have sufficient training, experience or knowledge and other qualities to enable him properly to implement the measures i.e appropriate firefighting equipment such as fire extinguishers and must monitor the fire detectors and alarms.
How often should fire extinguishers be inspected in the US?
Fire extinguishers are inspected immediately after installation and must also be inspected at least once a month after that. Monthly inspections can be completed by one of the employee and annually done by a licensed fire protection company.
How often should fire extinguishers be inspected in Australia?
Regular inspections of fire extinguishers are done every six months by a qualified professional. Other servicing requirements are done every 3 to 5 years which covers, testing and refilling.
Ultimately the goal of the fire extinguisher inspection regardless of the frequency is that it must be effective means in case of emergencies whenever it may happen the fire extinguisher is available to access and good to use. With this, it is important that inspection is thorough, it was followed regularly, records are available when needed and those who will potentially use the extinguisher understands how to use it.
How to avoid fire in the workplace
Avoiding fire in the workplace comes with making sure the fire protection equipment are working well especially the fire extinguisher which is the first level of defense against the spread of fire.
Avoiding fire in the workplace does not only rely on good and working equipment but also well trained manpower. The competent person who is in charge of inspection typically the fire marshal must be well trained not only with inspection but also replacement and testing of fire extinguishers when needed. This person must also be involved in analysing where are the high risk areas in the workplace to ensure the location of the fire extinguisher is aligned to that.
The classification of fire must be educated not only to the fire marshal but also to everyone in the company especially the ones that are working in high risk areas. As mentioned when we itemized the classes of fire and the correct extinguishers to use some extinguishers should not be used in flammable liquid or gas i.e. water extinguishers.
Teach your workers about how to use the fire extinguisher, by following the PASS acronym.
P-Pull: Pulling the locked pin to break the seal
A-Aim: Aim at the source of fire or the flammable material is located
S-Squeeze: Squeeze the handle – to release the extinguisher
S-Sweep: Sweep or move the extinguisher nozzle side to side
Hold a toolbox talk for fire safety on fire extinguishers – if you have not already done so. Toolbox talks are important regular open discussions done by the supervisor, team leader or can be presented by a fire marshal. It is quick and easy and you can outline the discussion points focusing on what are the fire hazards in your work area, what are the different classification of fires available at work and how to extinguish it, you can quickly demonstrate and remind your workers on the PASS acronym and method.
Consider using a structured fire extinguisher toolbox talk like the form below.
Use and customise this free toolbox talk form for yourself
Hold better toolbox talks about fire extinguisher inspections with customisable forms
This document would streamline your toolbox talk as it is already organised according to your needs, easy to customise to add some teaching points and can you can quickly scan your ID during attendance after the toolbox talk.
Lastly, what did we cover today? We answered the question: “How often should fire extinguishers be inspected?” – It is usually monthly and varies country to country. Before that, we look at different fire classes the different types of fire extinguisher that is used to extinguish these fires and some strategies on how to avoid fire.
Fire Extinguisher Inspection Checklist template
This fire extinguisher inspection checklist makes it easier to keep your extinguishers in good, safe and compliant working order.
Fire Inspection Report template
Fire Door Inspection Checklist template
Breeze through your regular scheduled fire door inspections with this free checklist template.
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