fire extinguishers servicing

rogerthebodger

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I know this has been discussed before but does any one know if there are any British Standard or ISO standards specifying what must be done and the frequency of the servicing of fire extinguishers whether related to boats or domestic and industrial buildings.

Here the marine safety authority specify

1) Visual inspection once a month
2) full service once a year, but do not specify what must be done
3) Every 5 years a pressure test of the container.
 
I know this has been discussed before but does any one know if there are any British Standard or ISO standards specifying what must be done and the frequency of the servicing of fire extinguishers whether related to boats or domestic and industrial buildings.

Here the marine safety authority specify

1) Visual inspection once a month
2) full service once a year, but do not specify what must be done
3) Every 5 years a pressure test of the container.

I can tell you what the Service Engineer does when he comes once a year.

1. Weigh FE. Check against weight stamped into bottle.
2. Remove seal off pressure guage to reveal small hole on front of guage. (Small clear dot on new FE's.) Colour of dot usually changes year to year. Apply pressure to guage through this hole to check needle moves and is not stuck. Replace dot with new sticker.
3. Remove FE's hose. Inspect and refit.
4. Apply small amount of grease to 'pull out pin'.
5. Attach new seal.
6. Fill out label on side of FE.
 
Fire extinguishers on boats

Hi
The British 'Boat Safety Scheme' BSS has just approved a maintenance-free extinguisher. Its the Britannia P50. It has been classified as suitable for canal boats etc and does not require any engineers. It still needs to be visually inspected once a year by the owner (gauge pressure, hose not blocked and in date) but nothing else.

Harry
 
Hi
The British 'Boat Safety Scheme' BSS has just approved a maintenance-free extinguisher. Its the Britannia P50. It has been classified as suitable for canal boats etc and does not require any engineers. It still needs to be visually inspected once a year by the owner (gauge pressure, hose not blocked and in date) but nothing else.

Harry

Interesting.
£99+VAT.
By comparison I can buy a FE of similar size for about £35. I then pay about £3.50 per extinguisher for servicing and a site visit fee of about £15 spread across 5 extinguishers.
So about the same cost over 10 years but I don't have the hassle and down time of a site visit.
I wonder if they will be bringing out a smaller one.
 
My local FE firm offer a free annual inspecton if you take them in. Service cost depends on what needs doing. Labels on the side have given way to a plastic tab fitted at the head of the FE with service date hole-punched. They will also check fire blankets.
 
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