It is important that you have several fire extinguishers in your business premises to ensure safety. However, if you do not correctly maintain the fire extinguishers, they will not be able to help you when you need them. This is why you need to know about some fire extinguisher maintenance tasks that should be performed.
Complete A Monthly Visual Inspection
It is important that you complete a visual inspection of all the fire extinguishers you have once a month. When checking the extinguishers, you should ensure that they are not damaged in any way. You also need to ensure that the safety seals have not been broken.
The monthly inspection also gives you the chance to see if there are any obstacles blocking the extinguishers. You should also take the time to consider if they are located in an area that people will be able to find them easier in the event of a fire. Having the fire extinguisher next to a fire hazard is not always the best solution because you may not be able to reach it when there is a fire.
Have A Professional Annual Inspection
Each year, you will need to have your fire extinguishers inspected by a professional. These professionals will be able to look at aspects of the device that you do not consider. This thorough examination will ensure that the fire extinguisher will still work correctly and that all the mechanical parts of still intact.
When the professional inspection is done, the date and result will be recorded on the fire extinguishers’ tags. This will help you determine when you need your next inspection and will help you keep track of the age of the fire extinguisher.
“There are various types of fire extinguisher that put out fires started with different types of fuel. The fire risk from the different types of fire in your business premises will determine which fire extinguisher types you need.” – fire-risk-assessment-network.com
The 6 Month Inspection
While it is important to have your fire extinguishers professionally inspected each year, you also need to complete a half-year inspection. This inspection will be similar to the annual inspection with a single primary difference. This difference is the fact that the fire extinguishers will be completely emptied out so the inspector can take a better look at the internal parts.
The extinguisher will then be refilled, pressurized and sealed. The inspector will also make a not on the tags that this has been done. It is important that you do not miss the half-year inspection because it ensures that the extinguisher always has the correct pressure and correctly filled. Not completing this inspection could cause the fire extinguisher to fail the annual inspection.