CEO, Firewize
21 Oct, 2019
Once a portable fire extinguisher is installed into service a periodic inspection regime commences. This regime consists of a combination of six-monthly and yearly inspections in accordance with Australian Standard AS 1851 for the life of each portable fire extinguisher.
This requirement extsis to ensure each portable fire extinguisher is free from damage or contamination, is readily accessible, is clearly labelled; and is working and is likely to continue to be working until the next schedule service activity. A record of each inspection is typically recorded on a metal "tag" attached to the portable fire extinguisher.
The level of service (1) denotes six-monthly inspection and (2) denotes a yearly inspection is stamped by the inspector into the yellow metal tag and denotes the level of service performed and the date (month and year) the inspection was conducted..
Australian Standard AS1851:2012 (A1) also sets out the requirement for undertaking a hydrostatic pressure test of ALL portable fire extinguishers on a five yearly basis as described in Item 3.78 of Table 10.4.3 (see below). This five yearly service also involves operating the fire extinguisher and an inspection of its components.
| Item No | Item | Action required and pass/fail requirement |
|---|---|---|
| 3.8 | Pressure test portable fire extinguishers. |
|
We sell a range of portable fire extinguishers online including; Dry-Chemical Powder (DCP), Carbon Dioxide (CO2), Air-Water, Air-Foam, Wet Chemical, Vaporising Liquid and Fire Blankets.
Shop Now!After the hydrostatic pressure test is completed, it is common for the test facility to record the date (month and year) that the pressure test was conducted. There are a couple of methods to record this;
The tag of a portable fire extinguisher is yellow in colour and includes a matrix of months (row 1) and years (columns). The date in which an inspection occurs should be stamped into the fire extinguisher service tag by the person conducting the inspection. On the right hand side of the service tag is the date (year) the last hydrostatic pressure test was conducted.
The tool used by portable fire extinguisher service technicians includes a sequence of numbers on it to denote the level or type of service performed. This is no longer specified in the Australian Standard AS1851:2012 however in previous editions of the Standard the numbers denoted the following;
When a portable fire extinguisher inspection is conducted, the technician would stamp the service tag in the month & year the inspection was conducted and with the corresponding service that was performed.
In the perfect world, a person inspecting a fire extinguisher would see a all inspections conducted in the same two months each year (six months apart), one with the number (1 - six monthly) and the other (2 - yearly) service inspection.
Sometimes portable fire extinguisher service technicians stamp the service tag with a hole, instead of the correct number. We do not encourage this behaviour as it does not accurately indicate the level of service performed.
A correctly stamped portable fire extinguisher should show two parallel columns with one column indicating the SIX-MONTHLY routine service activity (denoted by the number 1) and the other column indicating the routine YEARLY service activity (denoted by the number 2).
Where the columns are not aligned this, may indicate late, early or missed tests.
Portable fire extinguisher maintenance must be conducted by a competent person who has typically completed either of the two following nationally certified training courses;
There are a variety of organisations that can deliver this training as well as the Fire Protection Association, Australia.
Firewize employs a number of experienced and competent technicians who specialise in the routine servicing of fire protection systems and equipment. You can contact our sales and support team in one of convenient methods listed on our contact us page on this website.
A portable fire extinguisher must be inspected and maintained six-monthly, yearly and five-yearly in accordance with Australian Standard AS 1851 – Routine service of fire protection systems and equipment.
These periodic activities are planned in advance and must occur at a six-monthly interval. The Standard also states that these activities should occur in strict accordance with the Standard requirement for tolerance between routine service activities.
Firewize uses a software-as-a-service that was developed in house to schedule and manage these activities. When we welcome a new customer to Firewize we schedule a meeting to plan the routine service activities in advance (drawing a reference from the last time the routine service activities was undertaken).
We then enter this information in our computerised maintenance management system which plans these activities for the next five years.
If you are looking for a fire protection maintenance contractor to care for your portable fire extinguishers, we offer two options;
Need a quote for your Fire Extinguisher 6-monthly or yearly service? Complete your details (below) and we will contact you to arrange a time to discuss your needs.
