How To Stop Your Fire Extinguishers From Being Tampered With

Business owners! Worried about your fire extinguishers being tampered with? Or maybe they’ve already been vandalised or even stolen? This blog will give you some advice on how to protect your extinguishers so they’re in the best condition should you need to use them.

In the event of a fire, fire extinguishers are an extremely important fire safety tool. It’s key that the extinguishers in your premises are ready to be used, this means that they haven’t been tampered with or damaged. Being able to use an extinguisher on a fire could be the difference between a small, contained fire and one that destroys your entire business, as well as the difference between life and death in some circumstances. Unfortunately, many businesses find that their extinguishers have been tampered with, leading to damage, this misuse could mean your extinguishers don’t meet safety standards and won’t work properly.

A good way to tell if your extinguisher has been vandalised is if its anti-tamper pin is intact. This stops the extinguisher from releasing by accident, this pin will have a seal over it so it can’t fall out. Therefore, if your extinguisher has been tampered with, the pin will show this. Did you know that if the anti-tamper pin is not intact then your extinguisher does not meet British Standards? This would call for a reinspection and replacement if required.

To help stop your extinguishers from damage they should be in a stand or attached to a wall at the very least. An additional layer of protection would be to have a cabinet or cover over them, or to add a theft stopper that is tamperproof. Theft stoppers will play a loud alarm if removed, this could also act like another warning if a fire was to happen, as this alarm would play as you use the extinguisher.

Furthermore, The Health and Safety Act of 1974 states that misuse of fire extinguishers in the workplace is a criminal offence. It’s more important than ever to ensure these important tools are always in working order so they can be used effectively, they really can save lives.

Here at Fire Stoppers, we’re in the business of protecting the things you love the most, we offer an extensive range of services that are carried out by qualified professionals, like fire extinguishers. We’re fully insured and can install and service them, we even carry out discharge tests and will replace your extinguishers at a cost-effective price. We’ll always dispose of any old extinguishers in an environmentally friendly way too. For more information about our fire extinguisher services, click here.

Wanting some more fire safety advice? Head to our blog page to browse through our other posts!