Having fire extinguishers handy at your workplace isn’t enough to pass an OSHA fire extinguisher inspection.
Failure to meet OSHA standards can result in fines and penalties and put your employees’ safety and health at risk.
The thought of an inspection can be daunting, so it’s worth knowing what to expect should you be subject to one.
We’ve compiled this guide to prepare.
What Are the Requirements for Fire Extinguishers in the Workplace?
There are a few key areas an employer should focus on when it comes to requirements:
- the correct type of portable fire extinguisher,
- fire extinguisher maintenance,
- inspection recordkeeping,
- how to distribute portable fire extinguishers, and
- employee fire extinguisher training.
What Are the Correct Types of Workplace Portable Fire Extinguishers?
Portable fire extinguishers that generate soda acid or foam can start a chemical reaction that will release the agent freely. These portable fire extinguishers are operated by turning them upside down so that the cartridge ruptures and expels the extinguishing medium inside, with some models using pressure generating chemicals.
If not handled properly, these chemicals can lead to an uncontrolled response.
Therefore, an employer should remove from service all:
- soldered or riveted shell self-generating soda acid fire extinguishers,
- self-generating foam extinguishers, and
- gas cartridge water type portable fire extinguishers.
Fire extinguishers in the workplace are not allowed to use carbon tetrachloride or chlorobromomethane extinguishing agents.
What are the Inspection, Maintenance and Testing Procedures for Fire Extinguishers?
Fire extinguishers are divided into two parts: internal and external.
The employer should ensure monthly external visual examination, which includes:
- ensuring the fire extinguisher is in its designated place,
- ensuring the fire extinguisher is visible, and if not, there must be signage indicating its location,
- ensuring the fire extinguisher is easily accessible,
- ensuring the fire extinguisher is fully charged,
- ensuring the pressure gauge is in the operable range or position, and
- ensuring the fire extinguisher is full by lifting it and assessing its weight.
Extensive external maintenance examinations should be performed yearly, whereas internal examination is only required within every six years, depending on the fire extinguisher.
Hydrostatic testing, where the fire extinguisher is filled with water and pressurised to test its integrity, should occur every five or twelve years, depending on the extinguisher.
Does this feel overwhelming? Don’t worry – this maintenance may only be performed by someone certified to do so, and will be detailed in the fire extinguisher manual.
Curious about what happens in hydrostatic testing? Internal examination begins with an external examination, after which it’s stripped down to just the stainless steel shell and the hose. The shell is then filled with water at the extinguisher’s indicated pressure for a particular amount of time. If the stainless steel shell leaks or distorts, it fails the hydrostatic pressure test and must be replaced.
OSHA inspectors will check the inspection recordkeeping to ensure maintenance is upheld correctly.
What Fire Extinguisher Inspection Recordkeeping Is Necessary?
Most portable fire extinguishers have an inspection tag attached to document their inspections.
After each annual maintenance check, the following should be recorded on the tag:
- the date the maintenance took place,
- the name of the certified person who performed the maintenance check, and
- the name of the agency that performed the work.
These tags have a 12-month grid on the back that employers can use to keep a record of the monthly visual inspection by signing at the appropriate date each time.
How To Distribute Portable Fire Extinguishers
Portable fire extinguishers need to be distributed according to the class of the anticipated workplace fire and its potential size.
- Class A fires refer to ordinary combustible substances such as paper, trash, some plastics, wood and cloth. An easy way to remember is that it’s a Class A fire if it leaves ash behind. The travel distance for employees from a potential Class A fire to the nearest portable fire extinguisher should be less than 75 feet.
- For Class A fires, uniformly spaced standpipe systems or connected hose stations can be used instead. They should be connected to the internal sprinkler system and must provide total coverage of the hazardous area.
- Class B fire hazards involve flammable gases or liquids and require a distance of 50 feet or less from the portable fire extinguisher.
All portable fire extinguishers must be:
- in locations that are easily accessible,
- clearly visible with nothing obstructing it from view,
- coupled with a sign above it, indicating its location,
- mounted to a wall, and
- placed with the handle three and a half to five feet above the floor.
What Are the Employee Training Requirements?
If you have fire extinguishers for employee use, the employees must be trained and any new employee must be trained upon arrival.
This includes:
- how to use portable fire extinguishers,
- how to use standpipe systems, hose stations, and other relevant fire fighting equipment,
- how to smother active fires, and
- the hazards involved with incipient stage fire fighting, i.e. a fire still in the beginning stage that can be extinguished using portable fire extinguishers, a standpipe or a small hose system without warranting PPE.
How Insure Compliance Can Help Companies Reach OSHA Fire Extinguisher Inspection Compliance
We have established a unique Safety Gap Model, whereby we perform a safety assessment that exposes any weak links within the company regarding OSHA fire extinguisher inspection. Then, we provide the steps and solutions to bridge those gaps.
The safety gaps in our model include:
- awareness gap: knowing and understanding requirements regarding fire extinguishers in the workplace,
- process gap: documenting the requirements in the form of policies in an employee handbook,
- knowledge gap: training employees on fire extinguisher usage,
- verification gap: making sure that the policies detailed in the handbook are being enforced, and
- accountability gap: implementing disciplinary measures when the policies are violated.
We also provide extensive training options for both employees and employers to help you prepare for when an OSHA inspection occurs.
Key Takeaways
Adequately preparing for an OSHA fire extinguisher inspection can save you a lot of stress and a lot of money.
To reach compliance, an employer must ensure:
- the correct type of portable fire extinguishers are used for the correct fire class,
- portable extinguishers undergo the correct monthly and yearly maintenance,
- inspections are recorded correctly,
- portable extinguishers are distributed correctly, and
- employees receive fire extinguisher training.
Staying on top of everything can be overwhelming, so contact us today, and we can help you prepare for an OSHA fire extinguisher inspection.
Disclaimer:
Please note that every effort has been made to ensure that the information provided in this guide is accurate. You should note, however, that the information is intended as a guide only, providing an overview of general information available to businesses. This guide is not intended to be an exhaustive source of information and should not be seen to constitute legal, safety or business advice. You should, where necessary, seek your own advice for any issues raised in your affairs.
