Fire safety should be a top priority for any commercial premises owner. For this reason, you can't overlook the need for fire extinguishers. However, placing fire extinguishers on your premises alone won't guarantee the safety of people and assets inside the building. You must ensure that these units are in excellent working condition if a fire emergency occurs. That's why regular maintenance of fire extinguishers is imperative.
So what must you do to ensure your fire extinguishers are fire-ready? Continue reading for three crucial tips to achieve this.
Ensure the Fire Extinguisher's Accessibility and Visibility
Making sure that you place your fire extinguishers in a visible and accessible location is highly essential. If these cylinders are in hard-to-reach or unknown areas, they'll be of zero value if a fire emergency occurs. Therefore, ensure that your fire extinguishers are positioned in visible, well-marked locations and unobstructed by other items.
Schedule Regular Fire Extinguisher Maintenance
While ensuring proper accessibility and visibility of your fire extinguishers is vital, they might be of no use if they aren't in good working condition. You might be wrong to think you've done your building justice by simply purchasing and installing fire extinguishers throughout the premises. Without regular maintenance, it's hard to ascertain whether these devices are in proper working order and ready for use in fire emergencies as required by your local fire safety codes.
Furthermore, the maintenance frequency might depend on the manufacturer and equipment type, but annual inspection is paramount. After each maintenance schedule, an inspector attaches a tag to each fire extinguisher, which displays information about the most recent maintenance schedules. Besides the annual checkups, your fire extinguishers might also need hydrostatic tests, depending on the timeframe provided by the manufacturer.
Assess the Pull-Pins and Pressure Gauges
Most fire extinguishers incorporate pressure gauges to help you quickly check and determine whether the current pressure is at an acceptable range. If the meter indicates low pressure, you should call your service technician to repair or refill the cylinder.
Additionally, fire extinguishers come with pull pins, often found on the unit's handle. The extinguisher can only work after pulling off the safety pin. However, the extinguisher is probably used or tampered with if the fire extinguisher lacks the pull pin. Contact a professional inspector to assess this issue and recommend appropriate solutions.
Conclusion
Is your fire extinguisher in proper working condition? Consider these three essential tips to ensure your fire extinguishers are in prime working condition and ready for any fire emergency. Schedule regular maintenance with an inspector in your area to get the most out of your fire extinguishers.