Servicing of Fire Extinguishers by Jon Butt

With the constant use of fire extinguishers in all buildings and homes in the UK, comes the need for servicing and replacement of this piece of fire safety equipment. We have read stories and reports of people burning their rubbish and putting a fire extinguisher in the fire. It exploded of course and took off, crashing through a window some 100 metres away and burning a hole in the floor. Another report stated that a man used a fire extinguisher as a weapon against a rail employee to escape having to pay for a ticket on the train.

Fire extinguishers are not to be used in this manner, of course, and should be fastened to the wall in a place close to the kitchen or doorway of the home to be used as a last resort when cooking or trying to escape a home fire. They should not be used as a singular means of fire extinguishment but rather as a precautionary measure when using candles or cooking chips. The fire brigade is to be called in all instances to make sure the fire is under control and has not smouldered elsewhere.

To service and take care of your fire extinguisher, you should actually return to the place of purchase. If you received a package deal, they will service and refill or replace the unit for you as per the agreement. It is their duty to follow up with customers to visit the home or business to make sure that everything is in order, sign the ticket and assure you that you are safe.

If you have one solitary fire extinguisher and do not have a service plan, contact your local fire brigade. They will provide a trained technician to look at and service your unit with the proper tools. He has had the training to do the job and he is most likely a member of the brigade as well. If he deems that the unit is beyond repair or is too old for proper usage, he will not sign the ticket but will ask you to purchase a new one. The cost of a new fire extinguisher is far less than trying to rebuild a new home or restore your valuables.

If the fire service and inspectors ask you to remove the fire extinguishers from the apartment buildings, as was the case in a block of flats in Dorset, please do so as no one is trained to extinguish a fire which can grow out of control quite quickly. The rule is: get out, call out and call 999. No one has the time to read the instructions on an extinguisher, hope that it is working and then to escape unscathed. Make sure that the exits are clear and have everyone leave the building and business as soon as possible. This is not the time for heroics!

Information on fire fighting equipment and fire extinguishers for home or commercial use

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