PROCEDURE FOR MAINTENANCE OF FIRE EXTINGUISHERS

Recommended procedure for maintenance of fire extinguishers is given below for guidance only. The TAC (Tariff Advisory Committee) and NFPA Fire Manuals may be consulted for further details .

I. Extinguishers

    1. All extinguishers shall be thoroughly cleaned, where necessary and recharged immediately after discharge. For this purpose, spare charges to the extent of 10 % of the total number of extinguishers installed, with a minimum of six, shall always be kept in stock for each type of extinguisher and shall be readily available.
    2. Once a week, the extinguishers shall be checked to ensure that all movable parts are working properly, that the plunger is in fully extended position, that the nozzle is not obstructed in any way and that there is no leakage of the extinguishing medium form the glands and nozzles. The extinguishers shall be cleaned superficially and the brass parts polished. The nozzle outlet and the vent holes in the threaded portion of the cap shall be checked for clogging.
    3. Once a month, extinguishers of Carbon Dioxide type shall be weighed. If the weight recorded for any extinguisher is less than 90 % of the weight of the fully charged extinguisher as marked on the body, the extinguisher shall be sent for recharging.
    4. Half the total no of soda acid and foam type extinguishers installed in the premises shall be subjected to an operation test annually. Advantage shall be taken of this test to impart training in the use extinguishers, to the staff employed on the premises where the extinguishers are located. N.B. Extinguishers which have been used in a fire during a period of six months preceding the tests need not be taken for testing.
    5. Extinguishers installed in the premises shall be subjected to a hydraulic test as specified in IS 2190 and at such intervals as laid down therein. Under no circumstances shall such extinguishers be welded or reused. N.B. The hydraulic tests shall be certified by the manufacturer of the appliances or the factory chief engineer or the factory fire brigade marshall or the service contractors.
    6. A record of the operation and hydraulic tests shall be maintained, which shall be open to examinations by committee's inspection staff.
    7. The operating instructions of the extinguishers shall not be defaced or obliterated. In case the operating instructions are obliterated or have become illegible due to passage of time, fresh transfers of the same shall be obtained from the manufacturers of the appliances and affixed to the extinguishers.

II. Small bore hose reels

These are easy to use hand held water reels.
  1. Hose reels shall be connected to a permanent water supply.
  2. The number and distribution of hose reels shall be such that the whole of each floor is protected and that no part of the floor is more than 6 m distance from a hose nozzle when the hose is fully extended.
  3. The hose reel shall be such as will enable not less than 22.5 litres of water to be discharged per minute through a nozzle of not more than 6.35 mm internal diameter.
  4. Hose shall be of reinforced rubber not less than 19 mm and not more than 32 mm internal diameter.
  5. Hose length shall not exceed 36.5 m.