Out of date fire extinguishers — service, overhaul or replace?

What the service regime actually requires

BS 5306-3 sets out three levels of attention. The basic service is annual and covers condition, pressure, seals, hoses and correct siting. The extended service applies to water, foam, powder and wet chemical units, typically at five years, and involves discharging and recharging. CO2 units go for a pressure-vessel overhaul at ten years.

Missing a date does not necessarily condemn the unit — but it does mean nobody can demonstrate it works.

When a unit should be condemned

• Visible corrosion, pitting or dents to the body.
• A missing or damaged safety pin or tamper seal with signs of use.
• Pressure gauge reading outside the green band on a stored-pressure unit.
• Perished hose, blocked horn or a seized operating lever.
• A unit of a type no longer suitable for the risk it is sited against.

Right type, right place

Servicing is also the point at which the extinguisher provision is reviewed against the building. We regularly find water extinguishers next to electrical intake cupboards, no wet chemical unit in a commercial kitchen with deep fat frying, and units on the floor rather than on a bracket or stand. Correcting provision is often more valuable than the service itself.

The paperwork you get

Each visit produces a service record listing every unit by location, type, weight, manufacture date and action taken, plus a certificate. Condemned units are removed and disposed of correctly, and replacements are quoted before supply.