No matter how good a fire extinguisher, none of them has a definite
lifespan & as such they need to be maintained on a regular basis. They are
not different to an automobile or any other piece of mechanical equipment in
that respect.
Just what exactly can go wrong? Well loss of pressure can occur;
the inside of the canisters can corrode or rust due to the liquids present.
Even the seams on the canisters can weaken because of the high pressure that
the contents are held under inside.
In work surroundings there are many ways to destroy an
extinguisher. Every day knocks can dent the canisters, valves can be liable to
blockages or the handles can be damaged. A lot is down to human misuse.
Fire
Extinguisher Maintenance in Essex require to be inspected by a competent person
yearly or on a more regular basis if positioned within corrosive surroundings.
This method will require every extinguisher to be inspected and any that has
lost pressure or require replacement parts will be identified. In some cases
they will require replacing. This can often be cheaper than fixing them.
It is not unusual for service companies now to simple perform a
service exchange when they inspect your extinguishers. This involves them replacing
the existing unit with a pre-tested. The only issue with this is that you may
finish up with an inferior model. You might currently have high quality models
such as those produced by Chubb Fire and they then get replaced by an
affordable foreign import. Is this what you paid for? So always be definite you
get a like for like model. Saying that, this service is cost effective thinking
about how much a fire extinguisher can cost new. You could be saving 50% of the
cost involved which makes lovely business sense.
An alternative is to check the major retailers online & see
what prices you can buy a brand spanking new for. It is often a fraction of the
cost of buying from your service company. A fast search online will bring up
several suppliers who can sell you the exact same models you currently have
from the same manufacturer.
Now basically recycle the elderly units by taking them to a
recycle centre or having them collected by a licensed firm. Seldom bin them as
they could present a threat to people & the environment.
A part of your legal obligation under the new laws is that you
must perform a visual check of the extinguishers in your workplace on a every
month basis. This is simple to do & should not take much time. It can also
save you money in the long run & help to further protect the lives of your
employees.
You must make positive that access to the extinguishers is not
obstructed in anyway & that they are correctly positioned on stands or wall
mountings. The ID signs ought to even be clearly visible & for the correct
model.
Make positive the pressure gauges are working & that the
needle is in the 'green' zone of the gauge. Any that are in the 'red' zone
ought to get replaced or re-pressurised. Bear in mind that not all
extinguishers have a gauge. A CO2 model is an example of this.
The safety pins ought to be in & the tamper seals ought to
even be intact. If any of these are missing it could indicate that the
extinguisher has been used. Next give the extinguisher a fast tidy by wiping or
hovering the dust from it. Make positive the top is tidy of dust so as to
prevent blockage to the valve & nozzle.
Make positive the labeling on the unit is clear & undamaged.
Now check the body of the extinguishers cylinder for any rust, dents or other
corrosion. If any are detected then immediately replace the extinguisher. If
the unit appears to be severely damaged then call in a professional to safely
remove it.
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