Why Do You need to Service Your Fire Extinguishers

Maintenance and servicing of fire extinguishers 

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The maintenance of fire extinguishers is critical. It is critical not only as a legal requirement but such extinguishers play a crucial part in putting fires out before they get out of hand so it&#;s vital that they work when needed the most. According to the Section 29 (5) of the Fire Services Act (Act 341), it is compulsory for business owners to properly equip their shop-lots/buildings with fire safety equipment and serviced annually. If you have been hesitant about the idea of providing maintenance of fire extinguishers on your premises, here are some reasons why they need to be serviced regularly:

• To check any signs of damages on the cylinder. Corrosion to the steel extinguishers can occur on the inside, weakening the integrity of the cylinder over time. 

• Potential of hose blockage. Another difficult problem is that the hose might have been clogged, impairing its functionality. The O-rings on the hose can also deteriorate and compromise the extinguishers.

• Inspection of the pressure gauge. For each working fire extinguishers, there is a pressure meter that indicates its functionality and it has to be centered in the green zone. The meter will drop after a while whether it&#;s used or unused.

• Some may need a refill. The extinguishing agents in a fire extinguisher will need a refill after each use, to maintain an optimum spread whenever there&#;s a fire. 
  

• Servicing of fire extinguishers annually is needed for businesses to renew their BOMBA licenses for extinguishers. It is a compulsory regulation to be fulfilled for commercial use. Failing in doing so might cause your business license to be revoked by the officials.
  

• Fire extinguishers are complicated and only by thorough inspection by certified professionals you could have realized if there&#;s any damage or one that needs servicing. Book an appointment with a fire specialist if you got any signs implicating your fire extinguishers.
  

At Fire Fighter Industry, we offer an array of fire fighting equipment to keep your property safe. Our ISO certified team of specialists will determine which fire system is best for your business and ensure a quality installation. We also offer fire suppression systems and fire sprinkler systems to keep fires controlled should an incident occur.

Contact us at on , or book a servicing with us directly from our store to get your fire extinguishers picked-up and serviced in as quick as 10 days!

Fire extinguishers play a fundamental part in minimising the effects fire can cause &#; but only if you ensure they&#;re adequately maintained and appropriately used.

So, in case you&#;re unfamiliar with them, here are five facts you need to know about when it comes to your business&#; fire extinguishers.

1. They must be recharged after every use

Whether a small amount of extinguishing agent accidentally discharged or you actively released some to fight a fire, always top up what&#;s been used for when it&#;s next needed.

It might seem trivial at the time but, in reality, that top up could actually save a life, so make it your priority to act promptly.

For more information, please visit extinguisher filling.

2. They don&#;t last forever

Fire extinguishers don&#;t last forever. That&#;s not to say they have an expiration date, but you can&#;t simply purchase one, put it out and then push it to the back of your mind.

To keep your business, your employees and your visitors safe, it&#;s really important that you have &#; and stick to! &#; a robust maintenance ritual (we&#;ll cover what this is in more detail in point four), and remember:

3. Different extinguishers are needed for different fire and fuel types

There are five different types of fire extinguishers: water, foam spray, CO2, ABC powder and wet chemical. But the variation doesn&#;t stop there. There are different types of fires, too:

• Ordinary flammable materials (wood, paper, and textiles)
• Flammable liquids (grease, paint, and gasoline)
• Gaseous fires
• Kitchen combustibles (cooking oils and deep fat fires)
• Live electrical equipment
• Flammable metals.

With those distinctions in mind, it&#;s important that the fire extinguishers fitted in your premises fulfil the needs of the types of fires that have the potential to occur.

4. They must be regularly maintained

It&#;s really important that you stick to regular visual and physical inspections of your fire extinguishers.

Visual inspections: these should be done on a monthly basis and by a competent person. During visual inspections, pay particular attention to things like:

• Where is the fire extinguisher placed?
• How easy is it to access?
• Is it fully charged?
• Is both the pin and seal in place?
• Is there any visible damage to any part(s) of the extinguisher?
• Is the nozzle free from any blockages?

Physical inspections: your fire extinguishers should be serviced once a year by a qualified and experienced technician. During this, they&#;ll look out for things like:

• The condition of your fire extinguishers, and
• The location, number, and type of your extinguishers.

They should also inform you of any deficiencies, recommend remedial work, and provide you with a certificate so that you can demonstrate compliance to enforcing authorities &#; should you need to.

Need a hand? In case you didn&#;t know, we offer a mark-leading Fire Extinguisher Servicing product!

5. P.A.S.S must be followed when they&#;re in use

Only trained and competent people should operate a fire extinguisher, and when they do, P.A.S.S should be at the forefront of their mind:

• Pull the pin from the top of the extinguisher to activate it
• Aim the extinguisher at the base of the fire to fight it
• Squeeze the handle slowly &#; if you do it too quickly, the shock and speed of diffusion could cause your hand to freeze to the tube
• Sweep from side to side at the base of the fire.

Even if you&#;re competent and trained to use a fire extinguisher, if you don&#;t feel comfortable tackling the situation at hand, don&#;t &#; and that message applies to anyone who&#;s authorised to act in the event if a fire.

Some common causes for discomfort include fires that are larger than the size of a paper bin, and occasions where the contents of the bin is unknown &#; i.e. could there be an aerosol in it?

Got a question?

If you missed it earlier up in the post, we do provide Fire Extinguisher Servicing to take the weight off your shoulders. For more information on how we can help you and your business, simply speak to our Additional Services Team on 241 or .

And if you&#;re a Citation client, remember, our Health & Safety experts are available 24/7 with our advice line.

Are you interested in learning more about fire extinguisher refilling equipment? Contact us today to secure an expert consultation!