You smell smoke and reach for the fire extinguisher but it won’t work when you try to use it! Neglecting your fire extinguisher maintenance can cause small problems to become catastrophic. Your business could burn down and there could be injuries or loss of life. Fire extinguishers are important for keeping buildings up to code and are necessary during a fire emergency. As a result, fire extinguishers need to be tagged every year by a certified fire protection company to make sure they are ready to be used in a moment’s notice. It is important to create your own inspection and maintenance schedule before you have a fire protection company come inspect your fire extinguishers.
Here are some easy-to-follow fire extinguisher inspection steps:
- Know the proper number and types of fire extinguishers needed for your building or restaurant. You may need different grades of fire extinguishers depending on the equipment and materials that are present in your building or restaurant.
- If you buy a fire extinguisher with a plastic handle, it cannot be re-charged and therefore you will have to replace it if it is used.
- Check to make sure that your fire extinguishers are not blocked by equipment, clothing or other objects. If they are, remove those objects immediately.
- Examine the tamper seal and pin and make sure they are still intact. If they are not, the fire extinguisher will have to be replaced.
- Use a cloth and check for dents, rust, or leakage, and wipe any liquid or material from the fire extinguisher.
- Make sure the instructions are present on each fire extinguisher.
- Don’t forget to check when your fire extinguishers were last tagged by a certified fire inspection company and make an appointment to have the extinguishers re-tagged before that date.
If you follow these steps monthly, you should continue to pass your fire extinguisher inspection with flying colors. In addition to inspecting your fire extinguishers, it is important for offices and restaurants to train their employees on how to operate a fire extinguisher in case of an emergency. Fire extinguisher training, along with other fire protection protocol can save lives if a fire breaks out. Call Fire Control Systems for any fire extinguisher needs.
