Unserviced Extinguishers

[ljh896]

Hi All, As a newly certificated BS5306 tech I am looking for some advise please. I am coming across a number of extinguishers in premises that are relatively new and in good visual condition but have never had a commissioning service. they have no maintenance sticker at all. I think they are being bought off e bay or the internet and just hung by themselves. Question is - what do I do with them ? Do I identify when they were manufactured and give them a basic service and mark the discharge/hydraulic test date from that manufactured date or do I switch them with new and get them checked and refilled. Thanks

[Shawn Bosworth]

Hi,

Fire extinguishers are due for their DTR either 5 years from date of commissioning or 6 years from date of manufacture (10 years from date of manufacture if you are referring to CO2), whichever is earliest, according to BS 5306-3:2009.

If they are within 6 years of the manufacture date then perform a basic service on the units and mark them up as due for DTR when they would have been due if they had been commissioned on date of manufacture. For example, if the units were manufactured in January 2010 I would give them a basic service and mark them up as due for DTR in January 2016 (or January 2020 if you are referring to CO2).

I hope this makes sense to you.

Regards,

Shawn

[ljh896]

Thanks Shawn,

That's what I thought.