When you are working with fire extinguishers, you need to pay special attention to safety. However, it doesn’t mean that you can ignore regular maintenance of them. There should be a proper safety program, where you inspect the fire extinguishers in your business premises and ensure that all of them are functioning perfectly well.
A fire can make your business burn down in no time. If you don’t want to take any such risk, you should think about getting fire extinguishers in place. You should also get the employees as well as professional inspectors to inspect them regularly.
You need to make sure that all your employees are aware of where the fire extinguishers are. They should be able to quickly access and use them in case of a fire. Offering such training is a great investment that you can do to the future of your business. When a disaster strikes, you will be able to take quick action.
A single mistake with your fire inspections can put the lives of everyone at risk. This is why you need to provide appropriate knowledge on how to work with fire extinguishers to everyone at your workplace.
Understanding the hydrostatic testing procedures
You conduct hydrostatic testing in order to determine the ability that the cylinder of a fire extinguisher has to hold pressure. It will test for leaks and the overall strength of the fire extinguisher. You need to do this type of testing regularly for all rechargeable fire extinguishers at your business premises.
Once in every five years, you need to test it for carbon dioxide extinguishers, water extinguishers, and wet chemical extinguishers. But if you have a dry chemical extinguisher, you should do this once in every 12 years.
FAQ on Fire Extinguisher inspections.
How often should you conduct inspections on fire extinguishers?
After the first installation inspection, fire extinguishers need to be tested once a month. The owner should do these inspections every month, and a licenced business should conduct them once a year.
Florida’s federal government requires you to closely monitor both your insurance provider and your fire extinguishers. In the case of an emergency, not paying attention to your extinguishers can impact your coverage.
How to confirm whether a fire extinguisher is expired or not?
To find out whether it has been serviced lately and as soon as it should have been, check the service label first. Your fire extinguisher’s production date can be found imprinted on the body or service label. It can help you determine when it was installed. Because fire extinguishers can sometimes be overlooked, particularly in older structures, they could not adhere to modern regulations.
You should also check and see whether you can continue to follow the manufacturer implemented standards. Likewise, you should also check if the components are readily accessible to you in the market. They can all be signs that your fire extinguisher has “expired” and that you need to get a replacement.
Is it worth to spend time on fire extinguisher inspections?
You should refill fire extinguishers after every use. Even if the extinguishers are empty, they must be refilled to ensure there is enough pressure and liquid to put out a fire. During its use, this kind of device has to be frequently recharged. Only trained technicians or a fire protection business should carry out this recharging process for your equipment. This guarantees that the procedure is carried out accurately and securely. It ensures that you comply with OSHA rules, state laws, and insurance company obligations to have a professional handle this recharge procedure.
A reputable fire protection agency has experience with all elements of recharge, including carbon monoxide, foam, water, clean agents, and ABC chemicals. The fire extinguishers should be quickly refilled at the first indication of any damage to prevent degradation and other factors from building up and leading to serious issues.
How to make the fire extinguishers easily accessible?
To get the most out of fire extinguishers, you need to make sure that anyone can easily access them. Your fire extinguishers should be placed and visible around the workplace or building so that they can be used at the most unexpected times without endangering workers or other building occupants. In addition to near exit doors, they are often put in conference rooms, corridors, kitchens, and electrical rooms. Depending on the size and kind of fire that can possibly break out in your particular structure, fire extinguishers should be chosen and placed accordingly.
Does OSHA require you to provide fire extinguisher training?
Employees who will need to use fire extinguishers during inspections should get training and education on this equipment. This is crucial in order to make sure that someone is prepared to put out a minor fire in the event of an emergency under any circumstance. Although it is not required, it is strongly advised to get this training to ensure that everyone is secure in case of the unexpected.
ATS does not advise replacing your extinguisher with another one because it needs upkeep or repair, in contrast to other fire prevention organisations. As an alternative, we can lend you an extinguisher while we strive to restore your own extinguisher back to full functionality. This spares our customers the expense of purchasing a new one and gives us the opportunity to thoroughly maintain your current extinguisher.
Make sure to get in touch with a professional services provider to get your fire extinguisher inspections done. Then you can keep peace of mind and make sure that all your fire extinguishers are working perfectly well at all times.