Fire inspections are a vital part of the defense mechanism, and they act as front-line protectors from any fire hazard. Moreover, a fire code violation can lead to hefty fines, serious penalties along with prosecution and arrest as well. Therefore, it becomes essential to conductfire extinguisher inspectionstimely.
These inspections are mostly conducted on a few parameters like – extinguisher inspection, correct placements, easily accessible, enough quantity, and more. Below we have shared 10 tasks to include in your inspection checklist.
Inspection checklist
A fire inspection requires a checklist, which includes a list of necessary examinations to approve an extinguisher.
The very first task to conduct while inspecting your extinguisher is checking the maintenance validity of the extinguisher.
Ensure the extinguisher is mounted on the accessible place and no material, dust is stacked in front of it.
An extinguisher has a safety pin near the handle, and it is very important to check whether it's in position or not. Also, check that nothing else should be used in the place of the pin.
Extinguisher tags having instructions, extinguisher type, or usage guide should be easy to read by the consumer.
Usually, the extinguisher is heavy, so it becomes important to check the quality of the handle – whether it is bent/ broken or not.
It is essential to check whether the discharge hoses/nozzles are not clogged, broken, cracked, and in good shape.
Always check the pressure gauge. It should be green and not damaged. However, if it's showing "recharge", kindly service your extinguisher as soon as possible.
Another step to ensure while conducting the inspection is, check your extinguisher is full by turning your extinguisher upside down twice.
After conducting all these steps, indicate the overall condition of the extinguisher and mention if it's fit for use or not.
Next, sign the maintenance tag and mention the inspection date on it.
Conclusion
Hopefully, our checklist guide was helpful and informative. However, it is always recommended to conduct internal as well as external inspections timely. Also, if you own a fire extinguisher, you must regularly do ITM (inspection – testing – maintenance).
