As COVID-19 cases decrease, more businesses will open their doors and welcome in-person employees back to the office. Many offices and commercial buildings have been closed since spring 2020. Therefore, company owners should check their fire extinguishers to make sure they’re in good working order
Why It’s Necessary to Inspect Fire Extinguishers
Fire extinguishers offer on-site assistance in the case of a fire. A small fire could turn into a big one if you don’t have a working fire extinguisher on hand.
You might assume your office fire extinguishers still work. But you won’t know if this is true until a professional company inspects your fire extinguishers. Fire protection companies are well-versed in this area. The company team members can quickly tell you if your fire extinguishers are ready to do the job for which they’re intended.
How Often Should Fire Extinguishers Be Inspected?
You should inspect your fire extinguishers at different times in a variety of ways. Proper fire extinguisher inspection timing includes the following:
- Visual inspections every month: You should perform a visual inspection every month to ensure your fire extinguisher is in working order. Make sure your fire extinguisher is where it should be, that it’s not blocked or damaged, and is fully charged.
- Maintenance inspections each year: Once a year, you should hire a fire protection company to perform maintenance inspections on your company’s fire extinguishers. The professional fire protection company will complete a full annual maintenance inspection and make any necessary repairs.
- Internal maintenance inspection every 5-12 years, depending on your extinguisher: Every 5-12 years, you should hire a professional fire protection company to perform an internal maintenance inspection of your fire extinguishers. This testing and inspection process is more in-depth than the annual examination. The frequency of this inspection depends on the type of fire extinguishers you have.
You should also be aware of OSHA and fire codes in your industry and location related to fire extinguishers and their requirements. These requirements state how often you should inspect and maintain your fire extinguishers.
Signs Your Fire Extinguishers Need to Be Inspected
In addition to checking your fire extinguishers according to the schedule above, other signs your fire extinguishers need to be inspected include:
- The fire extinguisher is damaged
- The pressure is low
- The fire extinguisher doesn’t hold a charge
- Labels are illegible
Risk of Not Having Fire Extinguishers Tested
It’s vital to have your fire extinguishers checked regularly. If you don’t have a professional fire protection company maintain your fire extinguishers, they may not work when you need them to. Also, you must abide by specific regulations to ensure you comply with applicable laws.
Don’t take a chance with your fire extinguishers! Make sure you hire a professional fire protection company to handle the inspection and maintenance of the fire extinguishers at your business.
Contact Total Fire Protection today to handle your fire extinguisher inspection needs and so much more!
