The Importance of Maintaining Fire Extinguishers

Fire extinguishers play a crucial role in fire protection, but far too frequently, they are used as door stops or, worse, are tucked away and forgotten about. However, neglected fire extinguishers carry a hidden risk: they won’t work if they aren’t kept maintained.

When discovering a fire fighting, fire extinguishers are crucial. They can mean the difference between the fire and fire rescue service showing up to a tiny localised event that is readily put out or a huge inferno that is endangering life, property, and the environment.

You would undoubtedly want the fire extinguisher to function as intended in the event of a fire incident. Fire extinguishers are offered to provide first-line fire-fighting capacity. As a result, proper maintenance is required. For instance, corroded safety pins on fire extinguishers may prevent the pin from being removed, rendering the extinguisher ineffective.

This type of problem would be identified and resolved during annual checks by a qualified fire extinguisher technician who has the requisite training, credentials, expertise, tools, equipment, and access to refills and components. If necessary, the pin would be cleaned and lubricated or replaced. Here at Acton Safety, we can help you ensure your fire extinguishers and equipment are in working order.

Each extinguisher must pass a thorough 20-point inspection when a fire extinguisher technician arrives in order to be certified as safe for use. Before you wind up with an extinguisher that won’t operate or, worse, poses a risk to you or your employees, they will be able to detect those that have reached the end of their useful lives.

It is crucial to confirm the competence of the business or individual being hired to carry out inspection and maintenance when choosing a service provider to inspect and maintain your extinguishers because not all service providers will be as competent as you would like and expect. This implies that even though your extinguishers may have been “serviced,” they might still not function properly.

The relevant fire safety legislation for England and Wales is the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order (Maintenance section), which states in Article 17 that “equipment and devices provided in respect of the premises under this Order or, subject to paragraph 6 (General Fire Precautions), under any other enactment, including any enactment repealed or revoked by this Order (RRO) are subject to a suitable system of maintenance and are maintained in an efficient state.

Although different fire safety laws are in effect in Scotland and Northern Ireland, the overall message is the same: maintaining fire protection equipment is crucial.

The Chief Fire Officers Association created a guide for enforcing authority due to the legislation’s complexity. According to this document’s Section 17 Maintenance, it is reasonable to assume that the standard will be satisfied by the responsible person in terms of maintenance and documentation systems when equipment is “supplied and fitted to a British Standard.”

Since fire extinguishers are built to BSEN3 standards and installed in compliance with BS 5306 part 8, they should be maintained in accordance with that standard. If all of these rules seem complex, just remember that the industry employs them to provide fire prevention services as they are the pertinent British Standards (a form of best practise regulation). Fire Extinguishing professionals must have a thorough understanding of these codes, so you should examine their credentials rather than just the price. For this reason, they should have received the appropriate training.

Your choice of fire protection suppliers should be influenced by standards and laws and here at Acton Safety, we’re experts in this field.tAs the “responsible person” is responsible for making sure the service provider is qualified to complete the work, it is crucial to confirm the competence of the company and/or individual being hired to carry out inspection and maintenance when choosing a service provider to inspect and maintain your extinguishers.

The examination and upkeep of extinguishers must be done by a qualified person in accordance with the Health and Safety at Work Regulations. The term “competent person” is defined in full in BS5306 part 3. The following are excerpts from this document:

A competent individual is one who has successfully completed an examination given by an independent examining body after undergoing an initial programme of training that included “on the job” experience and attendance at a training course.

Continuous professional development is viewed as being necessary to retain competency and is covered by the availability of refresher training along with an exam every three years.

The document also includes beginning training requirements and too many specifics to include here regarding course material for theory and practical training.

An annual inspection and maintenance of your equipment by a qualified and professionally trained fire extinguisher technician will guarantee that each extinguisher is in good working order, that you have the right number and kind of extinguishers to protect you from the risks present, and that, should an emergency arise, the extinguisher will function and keep you safe.

You also depend quite a bit on the group that employs the technician. For your personal safety, they should be independently evaluated, have the appropriate liability insurances, and supply the technician with the necessary equipment, replacement extinguisher parts, and refills. They should also belong to a recognised trade association (like The Fire Industry Association), which informs its members of safety notifications and recalls issued by extinguisher manufacturers.

Third Party Certification denotes that a reputable, impartial organisation has carefully examined and evaluated the business. It is intended to give customers peace of mind when choosing a fire protection company because those with Third Party Certification are more likely to have the tangible abilities, expertise, knowledge, and competence to complete the tasks at your location and to offer suggestions if any adjustments are necessary (for example if you have had any recent building work or an extension to the building – this would likely affect your fire protection). Here at Acton Safety, we have the skills, experience and qualitification to ensure your business complies with all the neccesary laws.

If you would like to talk about how Acton Safety can help you and your business in this area of safety complaince, then you can contact us here and complete our form and we’ll get back to you.