Portable Fire Extinguishers: Maintenance, Use, Placement and Testing

Portable Fire Extinguishers: Maintenance, Use, Placement and Testing 

Qualified, well trained, and experienced professionals only should carry out inspection and maintenance of fire Extinguisher. Please check professionals valid experience details (Like: Appreciation Letter, PO copy’s including End user details..etc.) and qualification before assign job.

Fire Extinguisher inspection and maintenance done by Qualified, well trained, and experienced professionals will give you the reliability in quality inspection and maintenance.

Where Should a Fire Extinguisher Be Located?
OSHA requires employers to select and distribute fire extinguishers based on the classes of anticipated workplace fires and also on the size and degree of the hazard, which would affect their use. The following chart contains the OSHA-specified maximum travel distances to an extinguisher by fire class.

Fire Class	Travel Distance
Class A	75 feet
Class B	50 feet
Class C	Based on appropriate  A or B Hazard
Class D	75 feet

According to NFPA 10, the travel distance to a Class K fire extinguisher must not exceed 30 feet.

Maintenance, Inspection and Testing
Employers must inspect, maintain and test all portable fire extinguishers in accordance with 29 CFR 1910.157(e) and (f).

How Do You Inspect a Fire Extinguisher? OSHA Regulations for Visual Inspection

Portable fire extinguishers must be visually inspected monthly per 29 CFR 1910.157(e)(2). This helps ensure that:
·       The extinguishers are in their assigned location
·       No damage has occurred
·       No obstructions are blocking the extinguishers from view or easy access
·       Extinguishers are fully charged and operational
·       Pressure gauges show adequate pressure
·       Pin and seals are in place
·       Nozzles are free of blockage

Fire Extinguisher Maintenance Requirements

A thorough examination of a Fire Extinguisher internally and externally that includes checking of extinguishing agents, gas cartridges, repair and replacement of damaged components, and carrying out oiling, greasing, and wiping wherever required of a fire extinguisher is known as Fire Extinguisher maintenance.

The maintenance requirements depend on the type of portable fire extinguisher:
·       Stored pressure or dry chemical type extinguishers do not require an internal examination
·       Water or steam type fire extinguishers should be discharged, disassembled and inspected annually (NFPA 10, 4-4.1.1)
·       Dry chemical extinguishers that require a 12-year hydrostatic test are required to be emptied and subjected to applicable maintenance procedures every six years.
·       Non-refillable, disposable dry chemical extinguishers are exempt from this requirement (29 CFR 1910.157(e)(4))

For additional fire extinguisher maintenance, follow the manufacturers’ suggested maintenance procedure.

Fire Extinguisher Maintenance Procedure:

Frequency: Frequency for maintenance of Indian Fire Extinguishers and American Fire Extinguishers are as below:

Quarterly For Indian Fire Extinguishers (Once in every 3 months)

Annually For American Fire Extinguishers (Once in every 12 months)

Responsibility: Owner/ Employer/ Appointed Agency/Appointed Occupant of the property.

While performing maintenance of Fire Extinguishers, please consider maintaining mechanical parts, extinguishing agents, expelling media, and physical condition of Fire Extinguishers.

 

Follow the steps given below for maintaining Fire Extinguishers:

      ·       Clean the Fire extinguisher properly.
·       Polish the exteriors of Fire Extinguisher.
·       Wash the plastic components of Fire Extinguishers with soap water.
·       Check the porthole, vent hole, and nozzle of the extinguishers are clear. If holes are jammed, clear it.
·       Check for the free movement of the plunger.
·       Ensure that the cap washer and discharge tube washers are intact.
·       Grease the threads of the cap, plunger, and wipe clean.
·       Check the pressure gauge is showing the correct pressure of the store pressure Fire Extinguisher.
·       Examine the cap assembly, valve assembly, discharge hose, siphon tube, and clean it.
·       Don’t open stored pressure Fire Extinguisher your own, the opening may injure you due to high pressure inside it. It is recommended to get the stored pressure Fire Extinguisher servicing done through only professional agencies.
·       Open DCP Fire Extinguisher (only cartridge type) in dry weather only and avoid moisture contact with the powder. Contacting moisture with powder causes cake formation.
·       Check for cake formation in DCP powder. If caking is there, replace the powder.
·       Never mix different types of DCP Powders (ABC/BC/TEC). Mixing different types of powders may cause a chemical reaction that results in a dangerous pressure build-up inside the Fire Extinguisher.
·       Shake DCP fire extinguishers well to change the position of the powder to maintain its free-flowing properties and avoid caking formation.
·       Weigh the CO2 Gas cartridge, if gas weight loss is more than 10%, replace the CO2 gas cartridge with a filled one. Send the less weight CO2 gas cartridge for recharging.
·       Weigh the CO2 Fire Extinguisher, if the gas loss is more than 10%, replace the Fire Extinguisher with a filled one. Send the less weight Fire Extinguisher for recharging.
·       Check the pressure gauge of stored pressure Fire Extinguisher, if it shows pressure loss of more than 10%, refer to the manufacturer’s instruction for further action.
·       Weigh the stored pressure Fire Extinguisher or use alternate means to check that it contains the correct mass of extinguishing agent.
·       Clear the discharge hose by blowing air inside it.
·       Ensure that the maintenance tag is available, update the maintenance date, signature on the maintenance tag.
·       Record the status of checks in the checklist and rectify the actionable items.

Fire Extinguisher Discharge/Performance Test Procedure:

Frequency: Annually (Once in every 12 Months)

Responsibility: Owner/ Employer/ Appointed Agency/Appointed Occupant of the property.

 

Follow the steps given below for Annual Performance Test/ Discharge Test of  Fire Extinguishers:

• · Check the Fire Extinguisher internally and externally to find out any physical damage or corrosion formations.
• · Check the painting condition of Fire Extinguisher.
• · Check the quality of extinguishing agents.
• · Check the tightness of all joints of Fire Extinguisher.
• · check the condition of the information label.
• · Check the jet length of Fire Extinguishers against the given parameters.
• · Check the discharge duration of Fire Extinguishers as per the given parameters
• · Check the discharged quantity in the percentage of Fire Extinguishers as per the given parameters.
• · Record the date, signature, and status of the performance test in the checklist. Rectify the actionable items.

Hydrostatic Fire Extinguisher Testing
Hydrostatic testing of portable fire extinguishers is done to help protect against unexpected in-service failure. This can be caused by internal corrosion, external corrosion and damage from abuse, etc. Hydrostatic testing must be performed by trained personnel with proper test equipment and facilities. OSHA requires hydrostatic testing according to the following schedule:

Type of Extinguisher	Test Interval (Years)
Soda acid (stainless steel shell)	05
Cartridge operated water and/or antifreeze	05
Stored pressure water and/or antifreeze	05
Wetting agent	05
Foam (stainless steel shell)	05
Aqueous Film Forming Foam (AFFF)	05
Loaded stream	05
Dry chemical with stainless steel	05
Carbon dioxide	05
Dry chemical, stored pressure, with mild steel, brazed brass or aluminum shells	12
Dry chemical, cartridge or cylinder operated, with mild steel shells	12
Dry powder, cartridge or cylinder operated with mild steel shells	12

For each extinguisher that is hydrostatically tested, the employer must keep a record that includes:
·       The name of the person or agency who performed the last hydrostatic test, and the test date.
·       The signature of the person who performed the test.
·       The serial number or other identifier of the fire extinguisher that was tested.

This information should also be securely affixed to the tested extinguisher. These records must be kept until the extinguisher is hydrostatically re-tested or until the extinguisher is taken out of service, whichever comes first.

Indian Standard IS 2190-2010 indicate Fire Extinguishers Selection, Installation and Maintenance.

PESO Approval To Recharge and HPT Testing of High-Pressure Fire Extinguishers:

Fire Extinguishers which refill and HPT pressure is more than 35 kgf/cm2, recharging and the HPT test is required to be done through those agencies which are having valid PESO (Petroleum And Explosive Safety Organisation ) license.
Obtaining these certificates means the organization is the complaint with the requirements of PESO.
PESO was known as CCOE (Chief Controller of Explosives) before 2010.
In 2010 CCOE name was transformed into PESO. The CCOE head office is in Nagpur, Maharashtra, India.

 

Certificates to be taken from the Servicing/testing Agency:

When you are sending your fire extinguishers for refilling, maintenance, and testing to any external agency, do you know what important things that you need to collect from the agency?

Collect the following things from the Agency:

·       Collect a copy of the PESO certificate.

·       Collect Refilling Certificate in the case of Refilling Services.

·       Collect Hydro Pressure Testing Certificate in case of HPT Services.

·       Collect maintenance certificate in case of maintenance services.

·       Collect a valid calibration certificate of weighing machine from which weighment of Fire Extinguishers has been done.

·       Ask to emboss/ paint HPT done date and due date on the body of the Fire Extinguisher.

Spares/ Refills To Be Kept In Stock:

It is important to keep 10%  each type of refills reserve in the stock to replace the empty Fire Extinguishers immediately at the site so that, you get enough time to recharge empty Fire Extinguisher without hampering the services.

Weigh Scale For Fire Extinguisher:
It is important to keep a suitable size of weighing scales separate for weighment of CO2 gas cartridge and for Fire Extinguishers to get accuracy.
Weighing scale required for carrying out quarterly maintenance of Fire Extinguishers.
Fire Extinguisher shall be calibrated in a timely manner to get accurate weight and calibration certificate to be kept in a file safely to show in audits.

 

When To Replace Fire Extinguishers:

Fire Extinguishers should be replaced in the following conditions:
·       If there is any physical damage or rusting found on the body of Fire Extinguisher.
·       If Fire Extinguisher weight loss is more than 10%.
·       If Fire Extinguisher body is leaking.
·       If Fire Extinguisher pressure gauge needle is in the red zone (low-pressure side).
·       If Fire Extinguisher is overpressure, the pressure gauge needle is in the red zone (high-pressure side).

Condition To Reject A Fire Extinguisher:

Fire Extinguisher that are failed in HPT,  body damaged, lifetime is over, etc. are required to reject immediately.
If observed, such Fire Extinguishers shall be immediately removed from the site for rejection immediately and suitable replacement in terms of type and capacity shall be provided from Fire Extinguishers kept in stock.

 

How To Scrap A Fire Extinguisher?

Rejected Fire Extinguishers shall be cut centrally across the body and will be made unusable before its disposal to prevent its subsequent use.
The date of rejection and mode of disposal should be recorded in the Fire Extinguisher register to keep proper tracking of Fire Extinguishers.

Note: Before cutting the Fire Extinguisher, ensure there is no pressure remain inside it to avoid any injury due to pressure.

So ensure zero pressure inside it and keep the valve open to release the residual pressure of Fire Extinguisher while cutting it.

The benefit of keeping the valve open of Fire Extinguisher while cutting, it releases the pressure that is build-up whilst cutting process.