Fire extinguishers are a fundamental element of fire safety equipment and an important part of maintaining health and safety in the workplace. There are legal requirements that dictate fire safety fo9r businesses - which state you must have the right fire extinguishers for your workplace and the hazards that exist there. As part of the law governing fire safety, fire extinguisher testing is essential in non-domestic premises in the UK.
Making sure your workplace regularly tests its fire extinguishers can help maintain a safe workplace for both your employees and any on-site visitors. We detail everything you need to know about fire extinguisher serving servicing and testing and how to book fire extinguisher servicing through phs Compliance.
All businesses and organisations in the UK must adhere to strict health and safety guidelines. This includes legislation surrounding fire safety for businesses. According to fire safety regulations, your business must have fire extinguishers available, but they also need to meet certain compliance to ensure they are fully functional and capable of dealing with a hazard if something were to happen in the building.
Different legislation exists in England and Wales and Scotland which states how often fire safety equipment should be tested as well as detailing their compliance requirements.
In England and Wales, all non-domestic premises must adhere to the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (RRO) which has clear guidance on all fire safety requirements for the workplace. This includes ensuring the correct risk assessments are carried out and that they are appropriate measures in place to prevent fires and take action if one happens on the premises.
In Scotland, legislation around fire safety is detailed in Part 3 of the Fire (Scotland) Act 2005 and the Fire Safety Scotland Regulations 2006. These rules also detail the types of fire extinguishers that are needed to extinguish different types of fires.
Fire extinguisher testing and servicing is the process of ensuring that fire extinguishers are compliant with regulations and are free from faults and defects. Regular testing is essential to not only give you peace of mind that your fire safety equipment is in order but that you are also meeting all your legal obligations as an employer or responsible person.
As part of the fire extinguisher testing and servicing offered by phs Compliance we will check:
Your fire extinguishers are serviced and checked regularly to ensure they are fully functional in the event of a fire. Different checks must be carried out to ensure compliance, and these vary in frequency.
Firstly, every fire extinguisher will need an initial inspection called a commissioning service. According to fire extinguisher serving requirements, all fire extinguishers in your building should then be inspected on a monthly basis by a visual check. This involves making sure the extinguishers are located in the designated place, are unobstructed and visible, are securely housed and have not been tampered with or sustained any visible damage.
These checks should be properly documented by the responsible person. You should then ensure that you arrange annual safety service and associated fire extinguisher certification, carried out by an accredited specialist such as phs Compliance.
As well as a monthly visual inspection, fire extinguishers also require a minimum of a ‘basic service ‘every year, which must be conducted in accordance with BS 5036-3 regulations. It is a legal requirement that these services must be carried out by a professional, certified fire safety organisation – such as phs Compliance. The servicing process will involve an expert technician testing the safety pin and pressure gauges, as well as changing O rings in the valve, hose and horn if necessary.
Extend services should be carried out on all extinguishers at longer intervals, and these vary depending on the types of extinguishers being used by your businesses. Extended servicing is done every 5 years for water, foam, powder, and wet chemical extinguishers, whereas CO2 extinguishersrequire an extended service every 10 years and this is called an overhaul. Regulations for CO2 extinguishers differ due to their being of much higher pressure than other fire extinguishers.
Fire extinguishers aren't the only safety measure that should be in place in your building. Other fire safety equipment such as fire alarms should be tested regularly, as well as emergency lighting and checks on equipment such as air conditioners and heat pumps. phs Compliance can provide guidance and further testing as part of your regular health and safety checks.
Phs Compliance is an expert in fire safety procedures and can help your business or organisation with its fire safety assessments, equipment and more. Find out more about our fire extinguisher servicing and testing services or get a quote from one of the team. If you have questions about our services and would like further information, please contact us today.
To learn more about our what Compliance offers, to get a quote, or simply to ask a query, please feel free to contact us now!
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