As an Albuquerque business owner or commercial property owner, you are legally responsible to protect both the property and its tenants or customers when it comes to safety equipment.
When a fire occurs, the fire extinguishers must be utilized to extinguish the fire. This duty and responsibility is fulfilled by maintaining and verifying that all of the fire extinguishers are current, fully charged, tagged and in working order.
You probably are not a certified fire extinguisher technician, so how would you know when fire extinguishers in your building need to be discarded and replaced? A general rule of thumb is that when your fire extinguishers are 12 years or older, they need to be replaced.
If you’re unsure of how old the fire extinguishers in your building are, your next step is to check each one to see if the pressure gauge needle is pointing to the green zone which indicates it has a sufficient charge to operate if needed.
Your fire safety equipment at your Albuquerque commercial property should be working correctly. A fully functional, charged fire extinguisher is your first option in the fight against fire and they can be life-saving in limiting the damage a fire can do to your property.
Here are the tips to know the time to replace fire extinguishers in your Albuquerque commercial properties.
When You Should Replace Rechargeable Fire Extinguishers
The average life of a portable rechargeable fire extinguisher is 10 to 12 years. When it comes to the rechargeable fire extinguishers in your Albuquerque commercial building, there is a simple list of things to examine in order to ascertain if it should be replaced or remain in service.
The following are what each of the above-mentioned factors entail:
- The fire extinguisher handle: Look for cracks, complete breakage or sufficient looseness. If any of these units in your property are in this condition, you have to replace it. The handle is a key functioning part of the unit. If it is compromised then the unit will fail to function properly when required.
- Fire extinguisher locking pin: If not linked together, cracked, or not broken at all, replace it.
- Fire extinguisher maintenance tag: Along with an inspection of a Fire extinguisher, an updated inspection tag is also faxed to the Fire extinguisher. If the tag from the prior inspection was omitted, replace the tag Inspection and Tagging: Every fire extinguisher in your Albuquerque property is required by law to be inspected and tagged by a licensed fire extinguisher technician.
- Damage to the external shell of a fire extinguisher: Keep in mind that damage of any kind to a fire extinguisher can cause the unit to fail.
- Fire extinguisher nozzle or hose: Check each unit to ensure the nozzle or hose is free of cracks. If this is the case, the part must be replaced without delay.
- Loss of pressure in fire extinguisher: When you inspect individual unit and notice from one inspection to another it is losing pressure, most likely something is wrong with it. An issue that either requires recharging the unit or replacing it.
If they can go through all the above process and then sign off & date the back of the tag, it is all good.
ABC Dry Chemical Fire Extinguishers Maintenance Requirements
According to NFPA, the local fire codes in New Mexico require all portable fire extinguishers to be maintained according to the statutes specified in NFPA 10: Standard for Portable Fire Extinguishers.
NFPA 10 mandates every multi-purpose ABC fire extinguisher to have annual Inspection and maintenance performed by a licensed fire extinguisher technician.
Once such inspection and maintenance have been done for each unit, the technician will attach a service tag (with the information mentioned above) to the unit, documenting that required maintenance has been accomplished. The date and signature of the technician will be included on the tag.
Every fire extinguisher must be completely discharged, opened, inspected, reassembled, and recharged at intervals of 6 years. As you perform this task, you replace essential parts of the unit such as failing valve stems, rubber O-rings and gauges with new ones.
A licensed technician will attach a special maintenance sticker in a location on the unit’s exterior shell. It consists its vital data alongside the 6-year maintenance date, Information Flows with the Technicians-License.
Pressurized hydro test is done on each fire extinguisher with a period of 12 year. The test ensures the fire extinguisher’s cylinder is working properly. The hydro test also performs the 6-year maintenance tasks.
The unit that fails hydro test shall have to be stamped as ‘Condemned” It cannot be used again. When the hydro test is designed and a unit has passed the test, hard labels that explain the date of the test are hard attached to the cylinder of the unit.
Fire Safety for Albuquerque Commercial Buildings
Fire extinguishers and all required fire safety equipment must be placed into service and properly serviced, inspected and maintained by Albuquerque business owners, commercial property owners and other commercial property owner managers in accordance with the law.
The thing to do to make this collect all requirements is to work with a professional fire safety company similar to the first Albuquerque fire safety company, Brazas Fire.
With the nation’s best team of certified licensed technicians, the company can perform the fire extinguisher inspections you need done, replace or repair any equipment not passing inspection, and provide you with everything possible to maintain the safety of your tenants and properties.