Understanding Fire Extinguisher Servicing Regulations

Owning a business comes with a lot of responsibilities, many of which you may not even think about daily. From risk assessments to fire safety, there are a lot of procedures behind the scenes that ensure the safe functioning of your company. Fire safety alone covers an array of regulations that are in place to keep everyone on your site safe and healthy. Smoke alarms, fire extinguishers, emergency exits and much more.

Fire extinguishers are required on commercial sites in the event of a fire. They are a great tool to have and can assist employees in quickly extinguishing small fires before they get any bigger. However, if you have fire extinguishers on your commercial site, they must be serviced regularly. It is also important to service your home fire extinguishers, however, there are no regulations to cover this.

Here is a guide to cover everything you need to know about fire extinguisher servicing and commercial fire extinguishers.

What is the current fire extinguisher legislation in the UK?

All fire safety legislation for non-domestic buildings is covered by the Regulatory Reform Order (RRO) (2005) in England and Wales. According to the RRO, anywhere there is a fire risk, proper fire-fighting equipment, including portable fire extinguishers should be provided. The RRO states that it is the responsibility of managers and business owners, as designated responsible persons, to carry out fire safety risk assessments and implement and maintain a fire management plan.

Fire safety regulations apply to all businesses, no matter how small they are. All staff should know where fire extinguishers are located and how to use them. Everyone should know the evacuation procedures and regular fire drills should be held. If these responsibilities are not upheld, it could result in injuries or even death. Additionally, most insurance companies will refuse to pay for damages on negligence grounds.

Legal framework

Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005: This is the primary piece of legislation governing fire safety in the UK. It requires responsible persons (like business owners and property managers) to ensure that fire safety equipment, including fire extinguishers, is properly maintained and operational.
BS 5306-3:2017: This British Standard provides detailed guidance on the commissioning, maintenance, and servicing of portable fire extinguishers. It is used to ensure consistency in the servicing process.

Servicing requirements

Here is a brief overview of the servicing requirements based on the above legal frameworks.

Initial Commissioning: A competent person must commission new fire extinguishers upon installation to confirm they are in working order and correctly installed.
Annual Service: Fire extinguishers should be serviced annually by a competent technician to check for any signs of damage, corrosion, loss of pressure, or other issues that might impair their functionality.
Water, foam, and powder extinguishers must undergo an extended service every 5 years. This involves internal examination and pressure testing.
CO2 extinguishers require a 10-year hydrostatic test to ensure their cylinder's integrity.
Record Keeping: You must keep records of all fire extinguisher servicing and maintenance. This documentation should be available for inspection by fire safety officers.

Non-compliance with fire safety regulations can result in enforcement action, fines, or legal consequences. Ensuring compliance with fire extinguisher servicing regulations is essential for safety and legal reasons.

How many fire extinguishers do you need?

Based on the RRO, there needs to be at least two Class-A fire extinguishers on each floor of the building. The most common commercial fire extinguishers are 3-litre or 6-litre foam or 9-litre water extinguishers, although CO2 extinguishers are also common. If your premises contain electrical equipment, which is the case for most commercial buildings in the UK, you must have at least 2 kilogramme CO2 extinguishers and 5-kilogramme extinguishers if there are 415V-rated equipment in the building.

The number of extinguishers you will need is dependent on the size of the building/area being protected and whether or not the organisation is classed as high or low risk. However, to get a rough estimate of how many extinguishers you will need, divide your floor area, in square metres, by 200 and round up the figure to see how many 9-litre water extinguishers will be required.

If the building has an automatic suppression or sprinkler system in place, fewer extinguishers might be needed.

Additional considerations

Location and Accessibility: Fire extinguishers must be placed in easily accessible locations and appropriately labelled.
Signage: Clear signage must indicate the location of fire extinguishers.
Staff Training: Employees should be trained on how to use fire extinguishers safely.
Replacement and Disposal: Fire extinguishers that are damaged or fail testing must be replaced. Proper disposal methods should be followed for decommissioned extinguishers.

How often should fire extinguishers be serviced?

According to RRO regulations, extinguishers must be serviced at least once a year by a certified fire extinguisher engineer with BAFE qualifications. Competent persons for servicing fire extinguishers are generally certified by professional bodies such as BAFE (British Approvals for Fire Equipment). This ensures that technicians are properly trained and follow established safety standards.

Engineers will check the following things:

Condition and state of each fire extinguisher
Expiry dates
Condition of the pin and hose
Signs of tampering
Clarity of instructions and labelling
Correct pressure and weight

Once they have completed your fire extinguisher service, they will provide you with a report and let you know if extinguishers need to be replaced for you to stay compliant with RRO regulations.

What evidence should you provide that regulations have been met?

You might need to prove that your fire extinguishers have been inspected and serviced during a fire and rescue service or health and safety visit. There are several things to look out for.

Your extinguisher(s) will have a service label on them showing when they were serviced and when the next inspection is due.
The label indicates the outcome of the last inspection and service as one of the following:
- Was refilled
- Received basic service
- Needs to be replaced (which you should have already done)
There will likely be an anti-tamper tag placed in the pin to prevent it from accidentally being pulled out. However, some extinguishers that use plastic pans have a different design and should be replaced every year.
The O-ring on your extinguishers will have been replaced.
You will have an in-date service certificate from a BAFE-qualified organisation or engineer that serviced your extinguishers.

How often should extinguishers be replaced?

BS5306 of the British Standards recommends that any water, powder, or foam extinguishers need to be rested by discharge at least once every five years and replaced or refilled. CO2 extinguishers require a longer period of 10 years where they will be hydraulically tested or replaced at the 10-year point.

The Environment Agency and BAFE advise against discharging water-based extinguishers down drains or onto open land to avoid creating environmental hazards. If you are currently thinking of replacing your extinguishers, consider replacing them at the test point as opposed to “test discharge”.

If one of your extinguishers is discharged, damaged, or is no longer safe to use, make sure you have it replaced immediately.

Snowdonia Fire Protection: Fire Extinguisher Servicing

If you operate or manage a commercial property or site, it is vital you carry out the appropriate precautions to keep you legally compliant with regulations. At Snowdonia Fire Protection, we don’t just provide smoke alarms but also a range of other fire safety equipment that is imperative for a safe workplace. Our commercial fire extinguisher servicing can help ensure your fire extinguishers are safe and functional. To learn more about fire extinguisher servicing or any other fire safety equipment such as smoke alarms, sprinklers, or fire doors, contact us today.