In England and Wales, all premises used for non-domestic purposes are legally required to have fire extinguishers. Servicing them will ensure they have a long and reliable life, but how often should you service fire extinguishers?
The British Standard for fire extinguishers states that extinguishers must be serviced annually by a competent person. A competent individual is someone who has a relevant BAFE qualification or the equivalent. BAFE is a third-party, independent certification registration organisation for the fire safety and protection sector.
Basic fire extinguisher service
A basic fire extinguisher service applies to all extinguishers and is required annually. This service involves inspecting the gauges, pins, hose, tags to ensure they are working, checking the weight and pressure, and looking for any visual signs of damage.
Extended fire extinguisher servicing
For powder, water and foam extinguishers the legislation states that extended fire extinguisher servicing should be conducted every five years . During this inspection, the extinguisher is discharged, internally inspected and re-filled.
Overhaul
All CO2 extinguishers are required to have an overhaul every 10 years. This requires hydraulic testing of the extinguisher body and replacement of the main valve.
Upon completion of the extinguisher service, the competent person should provide the responsible person with a written maintenance report detailing the work carried out and record the relevant information in a fire safety log book.
Monthly fire extinguisher checks
At least once a month, the responsible person should carry out a visual check of every extinguisher. Some of the things to look out for include the following:
- Is the extinguisher in date?
- Is it in visibly good condition?
- Has it been tampered with?
- Is the weight correct?
- Is the pressure dial pointing to the green?
- Does the pin work?
- Is the hose damaged?
- Are the instructions on the extinguisher legible?
Finally, ensure every fire extinguisher is in the correct location, with the right signage, and is not being used as a door stop!
If you require a competent person to service your fire extinguishers, please get in touch. All our fire extinguisher engineers have attended the Fire Protection Association (FPA) training college and have a BAFE Certificate in the Theory and Practice of Servicing Portable Fire Extinguishers. We follow the relevant British Codes of Practice (BS5306) when carrying out extinguisher services.