How Often Should A Fire Extinguisher Be Inspected?

How Often Should A Fire Extinguisher Be Inspected?

In Australia Fire Extinguishers need to be inspected & tested every 6 months. There are 3 different tests our professional technicians perform. A 6 monthly test, 12 monthly test & a 5 yearly test. All of which have a different level of inspection.

Fire Extinguishers in Good Condition

Fire Extinguisher Testing and Inspection

Fire extinguisher testing and inspection are extremely important for businesses and homes protection. Read a brief explanation to discover how often your fire extinguishers need an inspection for optimal safety and compliance.

To keep fire extinguishers in good condition, it is necessary that you perform fire extinguisher testing on a 6 monthly and yearly basis. To do the regular inspections you need to hire professionals that will perform the 6 monthly and annual to ensure the equipment is safe to use when needed.

fire extinguisher testing

6 Monthly Inspection of Fire Extinguisher:

6 monthly inspection include that you should do a visual inspection of your fire extinguishers to ensure the following:

  • Fire extinguishers are installed correctly at their preferred location and not obstructed by any items
  • Fire extinguishers are in working condition and all employees know where the fire extinguishers are located
  • Make a precise visual inspection of each fire extinguisher to identify any damage (e.g. locking pin should be intact, tamper seal unbroken, nozzle unclogged, etc.)
  • Instruction labels on extinguishers are legible
  • Date of the last inspection done and schedule inspection if more than 12 months has passed
  • During the inspection, you should also check that fire extinguisher is pressurized
  • When a fault is identified, then you must call a fire protection agency to perform maintenance on your fire extinguisher, or replace the extinguisher completely

Maintenance of Fire Extinguisher

Annual Inspections of Fire Extinguisher 

To perform the annual inspection of the fire extinguisher, you need to hire a professional inspector to fulfil the testing. An annual inspection of fire extinguishers includes all of the 6 monthly checks as well as the following:

  • Check and verify that fire extinguishers are located at the reachable place, and between 15-40 metres away at any time
  • Tag and date each fire extinguisher to confirm that your business is regular with annual inspections

These examination steps are performed to make sure that there are no signs of leaks, deterioration, broken seals, tampering, host blockages, or illegible labels.

Rechargeable fire extinguishers

5-Year Fire Extinguisher Inspections

Rechargeable fire extinguishers require thorough inspections after five years. This process involves conducting a hydrostatic test, in which the fire extinguishers are required to be emptied, placed underwater and subjected to high pressures. During the test, the cylinders that fail must be destroyed, while the ones that pass get reassembled, recharged and installed back to their position for work effectively. It is also an option to replace the fire extinguishers after 5 years, due to the complexity of the testing process.

How to use fire extinguishers

Hopefully that given information is educational for you to keep your fire extinguishers in working condition. If you have any queries or you need fire extinguishers inspections and maintenance services, you can contact us freely and let our qualified, reliable team help you get the answers to your questions and manage your fire extinguishers.