Do you know whether your fire extinguisher has expired? If you’re reading this blog, the answer is probably no. Don’t worry though, most fire extinguishers don’t come with an expiry date and most people don’t remember when the fire extinguisher was first purchased, so you’re not the only one who doesn’t know how long your extinguishers have been in your building or when they’re due to expire. That’s why, in this blog, we want to explain to you how you can tell if your fire extinguisher has expired.
The condition of your extinguisher
When trying to figure out how old your extinguisher is, the first thing you need to look at is its condition. Damage, rust and corrosion are all indicators that your extinguisher should be replaced.
Other things that you should look out for are:
- Broken handles
- A pressure gauge needle that is in the red zone
- A maintenance record that isn’t up to date
- A blocked nozzle
- A missing locking pin
- A broken security seal
The Service Label
After that, it’s important to check the service label to see if it has been serviced at the correct intervals - this will usually be annually.
Working out just how long ago your extinguisher was installed in your building can be tricky. However, the manufacturing date of a fire extinguisher will be stamped on its body or written on that all-important service label. This manufacture date will determine whether or not your extinguisher needs an extended service. For more information on our extinguisher service speak to a member of the Fire Stoppers team today.
The responsible person for your business or organisation has a duty of care to ensure the fire safety of their staff. These staff, and others who have some fire safety responsibility, should receive adequate information, instruction, and training on a regular basis including the use of fire extinguishers. At Fire Stoppers, we offer this practical training to ensure anyone who has fire safety responsibility has the necessary fire extinguisher training required.
To learn more about our Fire Extinguisher service, head to the services section of our website. Alternatively, you can browse our full list of blogs here.
