An extinguisher service is more than a new date on a label. Here’s what a competent engineer checks, what happens when an extinguisher needs more than a basic service, and what you should get at the end.
Before the visit
It helps to know roughly how many extinguishers you have and where they are, and to make sure the engineer can get to all of them, including locked rooms and plant areas. If you have last year’s certificate, have it to hand: it lists every extinguisher and when each was last serviced.
Checks on each extinguisher
Under BS 5306-3, the code of practice for extinguisher maintenance, a basic service includes checks that each extinguisher:
- is in its proper place, visible, accessible and suitably mounted
- is the right type for the risk in that area
- has its safety pin and tamper seal in place
- is free from damage, corrosion and leaks, with a hose and nozzle that are clear and undamaged
- has readable operating instructions
- is at the right pressure, where it has a gauge, or the right weight, which is how carbon dioxide extinguishers are checked
Each extinguisher is then labelled with the date of the service.
Extended services and discharge tests
Some extinguishers need more at longer intervals. Under BS 5306-3, water, foam, powder and wet chemical extinguishers have an extended service every five years, which includes discharging the extinguisher to check it works, then refilling and recharging it, or replacing it. Carbon dioxide extinguishers are overhauled or replaced every ten years.
An extinguisher may also need replacing if it’s damaged, has been used, or has reached the end of its life. A good engineer will explain why, and give you the choice of refilling or replacing where both are possible.
Checking you have the right cover
A service is also a chance to check the whole picture: are there enough extinguishers, of the right types, in the right places, for the way the building is used now? Rooms change use, kitchens get added and server cupboards appear. If anything should change, you should be told what and why.
What you should receive
At the end of the visit, you should have:
- a certificate or report listing each extinguisher, its location and type, and what was done to it
- details of anything that failed, was replaced, or needs attention, with a quote if work is needed
- the date the next service is due
Keep the certificate with your fire risk assessment and other fire safety records. It’s one of the first things a fire safety inspector or insurer will ask to see.
Between services
BS 5306-3 recommends a quick monthly check by someone on site: is each extinguisher in place and unobstructed, with its pin and seal intact and, where there’s a gauge, the needle in the green? If one has been used, damaged or moved, call your service company rather than waiting for the next visit.
We service extinguishers across Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire, and remind you before the next service is due. See our extinguisher servicing or get a quote.