Your fire extinguisher’s dial should be in the green!
A fire extinguisher is one of the best tools you have to protect your business from a fire. But did you know there are requirements set by the NFPA for inspecting these firefighting tools? Let’s take a look at these requirements as well as what happens during the maintenance and inspection.
How Often Should Your Extinguishers Be Inspected?
The NFPA requires your equipment to be inspected, tested, and tagged annually by a professional inspector. But there are some monthly inspections you should be performing yourself to ensure your fire extinguisher is in working order. The first thing you should do is to ensure you have extinguishers in the proper locations at all times. Look at your equipment for obvious signs of damage. Does it look like it has been tampered with or used? Check the seals and safety pin as well as clogged nozzles, cracks or dents, signs of corrosion, and leaks. Make sure the needle on the pressure gauge is in the green zone and lift it us to make sure it still feels full. Check the dated tag and if it has been a year since it was inspected, call and make an appointment with Fireline today.
What Happens During a Fire Extinguisher Inspection?
Although most people think this test involves actually operating the extinguisher, your annual inspection won’t involve using the extinguisher. Using it during this test would be wasteful when the contents could be used to fight fires and to keep your business safe. To have your fire extinguisher inspected, you will need to hire a professional inspector. During this service, several things will happen. Your inspector will:
- Verify that there is a portable extinguisher within 75 feet of travel on every floor.
- Verify a portable fire extinguisher is located within 30 feet of cooking equipment in a commercial kitchen or restaurant.
- Make sure each extinguisher is easily visible and not blocked by objects.
- Check the label to ensure it is the right type of fire extinguisher for your business.
- Check the pressure dial for readability and that it is fully charged.
- Check that the hose is intact, the pull pin is fastened securely, and the tamper seal is unbroken.
- Look for obvious signs of use or damage or any modifications that could reduce functionality.
These annual inspections will help to ensure your business is safe at all times. To schedule your yearly fire extinguisher inspection or to purchase a new fire extinguisher, call Fireline today!
Fire Extinguisher Inspections with Fireline
At Fireline, we offer an array of portable fire extinguishers, fire alarms, and sprinkler systems to keep commercial kitchens safe. Fireline offers the highest quality alarm systems to keep your business safe from fires and carbon monoxide poisoning. We also offer fire suppression systems as well to help keep commercial fires controlled should they break out. Our trained technicians will work with you to determine which air sampling smoke detection system is best for your business. We will also help install and maintain the system for your commercial building.
To get started with Fireline today, or for more information on sprinkler systems call us at 1-800-553-3405, or visit our contact page.
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