Most of you know that having a fire extinguisher at home or in your business is important. But did you know that most people forget to do a monthly inspection of their extinguisher, even though there is a handy tag on the extinguisher to remind you to inspect and write down the date of your last inspection?
According to fire codes, fire extinguishers need to be inspected every month. This is different from the annual inspections that the Bison Fire Protection certified technicians do on an annual basis.
Every month you should take the 5-10 minutes it takes to do a physical inspection of your fire extinguishers to check for the following:
- Physical damage (dents, broken handles, cracked gauges)
- Missing parts (hoses, gauge, handles)
- Unwanted debris (bugs, dust, spiders)
- Gauge readings (gauges should be in the green zone)
If your fire extinguisher does not have a gauge, make sure the extinguisher is still at the correct weight. Putting it on a scale takes only a moment and will let you know if it is still at its correct weight.
Large industrial shops usually hire someone to come in and do their monthly inspections. Not only is it more time efficient for their operations but it’s also more cost efficient. It is not unusual for larger companies to have more damaged or used fire extinguishers that need replacing with fully charged and ready to go extinguishers. At Bison Fire Protection our customers are happy to rely on Bison Fire Protection as their partner in keeping their business and their people safe.
When arranging for fire extinguisher inspections, make sure you are contacting a certified fire protection company. If you are looking for a company in Winnipeg, Thompson, Brandon, or Regina servicing fire extinguishers with trained local technicians, call Bison Fire Protection. If this is the first time you have purchased a fire extinguisher and you need some guidance, our team can come out and show you how to do an inspection yourself, show you what to look for and start you off with some helpful information so you are prepared for your monthly fire extinguisher inspection, and we’ll see you when we come out to do your annual full maintenance inspection.
If you do no not have a fire extinguisher or are not sure if you have the right fire extinguisher for your location, give our team a call. We are always happy to help and proud to be part of your safety team.
So remember – do your monthly fire extinguisher inspections. If you do not have time or find that you do not know how, call Bison Fire Protection to come in and do your monthly fire extinguisher inspections for you. You’ll save time and possibly save lives.
For more information watch our video “Servicing a Fire Extinguisher After Use”
