Fire Extinguisher Inspection and Maintenance
A fire safety course that can make the difference between life and death
Knowing how to inspect and maintain a fire extinguisher can be the difference between a small blaze and a devastating fire. Even a medium size fire can cost thousands and thousands of dollars, or worse, someone’s life. Fire extinguishers are a safety tool that we often take for granted. We see them in our buildings and on vehicles and assume they will work when we need them. They might not, however, if they haven’t been inspected nor received proper maintenance.
There are many online safety training courses. The fire safety course now available through the COSTA (Canadian Online Safety Training Association) covers, among other things, the inspection, maintenance, and use of a fire extinguisher.
All fire extinguishers need to be inspected manually or electronically every 30 days.
Quick Inspections
A “quick inspection” completed every 30 days verifies:
- that the fire extinguisher is in its designated location.
- that it is easily seen and obtainable.
- that the pressure gauge is in the operable range for the extinguisher to function.
- that the extinguisher is full.
If a fire extinguisher is located where it is susceptible to damage it should be inspected more thoroughly and frequently.
If a fire extinguisher is location where it is susceptible to damage, it should be inspected more thoroughly and frequently. Should an inspection show that maintenance is required, maintenance must be completed by a certified technician.
Firefighter training Canada dictates that all inspections are to be documented according to the standards set by the National Fire Protection Association Standard for Portable Fire Extinguishers (NFPA 10). Records should indicate the date the inspection was performed and the initials of the person performing the inspection. If the inspection was completed manually, the record should be kept on a tag or label attached to the fire extinguisher or on an inspection checklist maintained on file.
Construction safety courses may not go into depth about the use and maintenance of an extinguisher. Providing workers with a fire safety course that includes this information, as well as information about types of fires and extinguishing agents, can increase knowledge of and attention to fire hazards in the workplace and how they can be mitigated. In the end, this knowledge and skill set can be invaluable every time small-sized fires are prevented from becoming disasters.
Matthew Albertson is author of this article. To know more about fire fighting training, online basic fire fighting and arc flash awareness training, please visit www.safetytrainingassociation.com
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