Fire Extinguisher check

Ciaron Dunne
Member - 85 posts

Phil,

As Tina Zenthon comments in the forum, British Standard BS5306 Part 3 2000 recommends that all portable fire extinguishers are subjected to an annual maintenance inspection and service, by a competent person. In case you missed Tina's response, please see:

http://www.workplacelaw.net/forum/thread.php?thread_id=36

You should also consider using a company registered by the British Approvals for Fire Equipment (BAFE). tel. 0181 541 1950, e-mail http://www.bafe.org.uk

Regards

Ciaron Dunne, Editor

Anonymous

Regarding fire extinguisher checks, the engineers that check mine are trained by the British Fire Consortium to the QSP94001 standard. Is this good enough?

Thanks

Duncan Varney

Director of a fulfillment warehouse

Michael Ney
Member - 4 posts

Whatever training courses the fitters have been on, the work is primarily one of dedication, thoroughness and practical skills. Fire extinguishers are fairly simple bits of kit, they suffer from corrosion, dirt blocking the working parts, impact damage and abuse. If the operatives have been trained and show those skills and dedication, then they are "competent". Much of it comes down to supervision. If you find that when you open up a water type extinguisher that has been serviced and find rust, a gas cylinder in poor shape, the handle mechanism stiff and inadequate to pierce the cartridge, the safety pin jammed tight or the hose perished, then the "service" wasn't competent. That is part of management.

Anonymous

I believe that all portable fire extinguishers should be subjected to annual maintenance.This should be carried out by contractors.However,all fire extinguishers should be checked on a weekly basis.

Chris Johnson
Member - 5 posts

Please Note: The British Standard for the Installation and Servicing is being reviewed at this time. Public Consultation is closed (before most found out about it) but write in with your input. The revised standard is in draft, but due to be published mid to late 2008.

It may require 3-year updates for all "Competent Persons" and some clarification regarding the practice of Mail Order, to ensure on site commissioning (could be damaged in transit).

I have asked them to clarify; filling, installing and commissioning.

Phil Martin
Member - 8 posts

“BS 5306-3:2009 Fire extinguishing installations and equipment on premises. Commissioning and maintenance of portable fire extinguishers” has just been published. This replaces BS5306-3:2003. Please note the change of title. It now contains the word “Commissioning”. All newly installed extinguishers should be “Commissioned” by a competent person. This was designed to combat a trend for users, now “Responsible Persons”, buying cheep extinguishers from general wholesalers, catalogues and the web with the worrying result that many extinguisher installations are insufficient, inappropriate, ineffective or dangerous.

Graham Ferris
Member - 19 posts

Good point highlighted about the commissioning service - note also that this initial service is to take place where the extinguisher is to be fitted i.e. after it has been unpacked and removed from its transit material. It cannot be unpacked at some distant depot/factory and then taken to its place of use.

Gary Wintle
Member - 1 post

wew have just had our extinguishers serviced and they have 'scrapped' 17 of them because they are solid in colour, not red with the relevant coloured areas, and have quoted BS 7863 and BS EN 3 as the reason. However, my reading of this is that if they are still servicable, then they can still be used. The Fire brigade agree with this. another reason is that the handle and nozzle assembly that screws to the canister is made of plastic, and as such has to be scrapped. I cannot find anything on this and the fire brigade or also in the dark on this one. Any more info greatly appreciated as at £85 per replacement is a rip off as I can get them eleswhere for £22.50. .

Mike Kane
Member - 89 posts

Just because a unit is pre- BS EN 3, if it is still servicable then there is no legal requirement to replace it on design criteria alone.

You say the Fire Service are happy, then do nothing. The Fire Service are the enforcing authority for the Legislation and therefore they have the final say, not some extinguisher salesman.

Too many fire extinguisher companies are driven by sales alone and therefore individuals will advise you that you "have to change" for any number of spurious reasons, but mainly to boost their own commission.

On the other hand, £85 for an extinguisher is not actually a rip off. Those at £22.50 are probably not be up to snuff and anyway, many internet companies charge another large fee for shipping.

Beware buying on the internet unless you are experienced and competent in what you require. You may buy a pig in a poke.

Mike Kane
fireuk@msn.com

ANDY - FIRE SAFETY OFFICER ASSOCIATES
Member - 27 posts

I would agree with Mike Kane on all the points above. The older extinguishers are still allowed providing they are serviced and pass the test. However, like in any industry you will get varying levels of service and would advise from past experience that a significant number of companies would write the old extinguisher off.

It can be difficult to argue with their decision as they are the competent person (or should be) and they will always error on the side of caution especially in showing due dilligence. However, it would be naïve to think sales don't play apart in this.

Chosing the extinguisher and company needs very careful consideration and price can be a hurdle to over come.

Gnereally the Fire Service will except servicing records providing they are up to date

Andy O
info@firesafetyoa.co.uk

Graham Ferris
Member - 19 posts

Picking up on a few of the points above:- BS5306 part 3 2009 has just been published. As per the old version is does NOT say that any extinguisher over X years old has to be scrapped - there is no reason to scrap an extinguisher if the manufacturer still makes the replacement parts unless the extinguisher falls within a certain class e.g. rivetted seams, not made of metal etc. I have even seen comments on reputable websites that an extinguisher over 20 years old should be replaced - nonsense! If it is fit for service (as Mike has stated above) there is no reason to replace.
Re plastic - in the new standard plastic head caps have to be replaced at the extended service or before if you see any degredation i.e. the head cap being the part that is under pressure and could blow. This rule does not apply to the handle etc as quoted above. I was recently looking at a Total 2kg powder with a plastic cover over the head for cosmetic purposes - the head beneath is metal. Would the servicing company mentioned above have condemned this perfectly good extinguisher? If they would they are having a laugh.
Like everything in life you get what you pay for and personally I would rather have the £85 model on my premises than the £22.50 one mentioned above - will it work when you need it?
Finally with regards to non-red extinguishers - on the market it is possible to buy stainless steel units that are coloured 'steel' or you can request different colours to go with your office colour scheme (so i beleive), now being steel this is obbviously a superior product that could last for years and years and years - company above would take them out! again this is nonsense the only requirement with non-standard coloured extinguishers such as the stainless steel is to tell the customer they must alert their insurance company to the fact the units are not 'standard' because some insurance companies will insist on kite marked BS EN 3 units only and if they are unaware of the units they might not pay out in the event of an incident. But as I mentioned earlier the steel units are generally of such high quality there is no problem.