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CYSYLLTWCH Â NI
How Not Servicing Fire Extinguishers Could Cost You Your Job
(Saesneg yn unig)
Far from simply involving legal box-ticking, servicing your commercial fire extinguishers is paramount in importance if you want to keep your job. Failure to do so jeopardises the safety of yourself and those around you, and will not be looked on kindly by the authorities or a managing body at work. Fines, legal enforcement or even loss of a job have resulted in the past following a failure to conduct regular fire extinguisher inspections.
But with adherence to the correct requirements, this source of anxiety can be a badge of honour in your workplace, which leaves you safe in the knowledge that your office and coworkers are safe from harm. Read on to be aware of the risks before learning how you can take action.
Your Legal Fire Safety Obligations
In case you don’t want to read the lengthy Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, we’re detailing the key legal takeaways here. In short, you’ll need to carry out two checks. The first is a monthly visual inspection recorded in a logbook, which involves ensuring the extinguisher is easily accessible, not visibly damaged, pressurised within its gauge’s ‘green’ range, and still tagged and sealed in date.
The second check involves a more lengthy process that occurs once a year by a commercial fire extinguisher technician. This follows the Fire Industry Association’s BS 5306-3 standards that were ratified in October 2017. Unfortunately, you won’t be able to carry this check out yourself unless you’re a qualified technician.
What’s at Risk?
In the past, businesses have neglected the sometimes tedious process of fire extinguisher servicing due to the misplaced belief that commercial fire extinguishers don’t actually need this. These same workspaces or rented homes that fail to conduct even minor monthly checks have faced grievous legal consequences when employees or tenants reported failings.
One landlord in Lancashire even faced three months in prison and a fine of over £10,000 in 2024, when it was discovered that they had failed to provide and maintain the necessary “equipment and devices” for fire safety. Even though a fire never broke out, reports from tenants meant that the landlord was legally summoned when they realised extinguishers were faulty, and the owner faced steep penalties as a result.
How to Prevent Catastrophes
Rather than leaving fire extinguisher servicing to someone unqualified, or worse, ignoring it entirely, you can speak to a professional to prevent legal and health-related ramifications. The associated inspection isn’t only an opportunity to spot problems either: it’ll result in a clear set of recommendations to protect you from future prosecution.
At Snowdonia Fire Protection, we are able to conduct professional fire safety checks that will mean the many disasters detailed in this post are totally avoided. You can start this journey by getting in touch with us today to arrange an accredited fire extinguisher inspection and service.
