Category: Portable fire extinguishers

No one expects to experience a fire. Fires can break out unexpectedly in your commercial business, home, car and even your camping vehicles. A fire extinguisher is an invaluable item to have in every situation. Most of us don’t think we’ll ever have to use our portable fire extinguisher – but we all need to know where they are located, how to use them and when to have them serviced, recharged or replaced. Expired portable fire extinguishers Fire extinguishers that have gone past their expiration date should be replaced. Even when there isn’t an expiration date – it is important […]

There are many OSHA requirements for portable fire extinguishers that businesses may not be aware of and may be surprised to learned.  Here are four of the frequently asked questions associated with these requirements that help explain some of these requirements to help take away some of the mystery surrounding state and federal OSHA requirements for portable fire extinguishers. Does OSHA require businesses to document monthly portable fire extinguisher inspections? OSHA requires a visual inspection of all portable fire extinguishers at least monthly.  There is no OSHA requirement for documentation of monthly inspections.  This should not be confused with mandatory […]

What is your company’s fire-fighting policy? Fires are the most common type of emergency for most companies, and many fires start out small enough to be put out with a portable fire extinguisher. But that doesn’t necessarily mean that all employees need to know how to use a fire extinguisher. Why It Matters According to OSHA, workplace fires kill about 200 and injure about 5,000 persons each year. In a typical recent year, there were more than 75,000 workplace fires that caused more than $2 billion worth of damage. In FY 2004, OSHA issued more than 1,300 citations for violations […]

What is your company’s fire-fighting policy? Fires are the most common type of emergency for most companies, and many fires start out small enough to be put out with a portable fire extinguisher. But that doesn’t necessarily mean that all employees need to know how to use a fire extinguisher. Why It Matters According to OSHA, workplace fires kill about 200 and injure about 5,000 persons each year. In a typical recent year, there were more than 75,000 workplace fires that caused more than $2 billion worth of damage. In FY 2004, OSHA issued more than 1,300 citations for violations […]

Fire extinguishers are generally placed indoors in visible and easily accessed areas. They are designed to prevent the spread of fires or to put them out completely. When a fire extinguisher is activated, it will send a spray consisting of flame-retardant chemicals into the fire which will stop the flames. These units require scheduled service checks to ensure they are still able to perform the function of putting out fires.  When servicing your portable fire extinguishers, there are several things you need to pay special attention to. When to Perform Servicing on you Fire Extinguishers The National Fire Protection Agency […]

As a commercial fire equipment company, we are often asked, “Is it acceptable for a business to perform their own monthly fire extinguisher inspections?” The simple answer is, yes. Frequently, professional fire equipment companies are hired to perform monthly fire extinguisher inspections for businesses simply because we help minimize the business interruption. Also, we are able to ensure that those inspections are completed accurately. If you’ve been thinking about doing inspections, there’s a couple of things you’re going to have to have. One of those things is a complete list of your fire extinguishers that indicates where they are located […]

OSHA rule 29 CFR 1910 establishes the requirements for portable fire extinguishers in a business. Employers are generally required by the OSHA rule to provide employees with portable fire extinguishing equipment for use in fighting incipient stage fires in the workplace. An “incipient-stage fire” means the initial or beginning stage that can be controlled or extinguished by portable fire extinguishers. The rule, however, provides alternatives for employers who do not want their employees to fight incipient stage fires in the workplace. Regardless of whether or not a business chooses to rely upon or allow its employees to use portable fire […]

There are many OSHA requirements for portable fire extinguishers that businesses may not be aware of and may be surprised to learn.  This article provides answers to some of the most common frequently asked questions surrounding state and federal OSHA requirements for portable fire extinguishers in businesses. OSHA requirements to document portable fire extinguisher inspections OSHA requires a visual inspection of all portable fire extinguishers at least monthly.  There is no OSHA requirement for documentation of monthly inspections.  This should not be confused with mandatory annual inspections and periodic maintenance inspections which are required to be documented. Most inspection tags […]