The Importance of Fire Extinguisher Inspections

The Importance of Fire Extinguisher Inspections

When creating a safe commercial building, there are many ways you can do that. One way is by setting up an efficient security system to detect criminal activities that could happen within or outside the building. Another one is placing several fire extinguishers in different areas for people to use in a building fire. 

If you were to focus on fire extinguishers, you might think that it’s okay leaving them on the corner as long as you keep them clean all the time. However, that’s not usually the case because, like with any equipment, you need to have it inspected if you want it to function when the time comes you need it. 

Prevent Any Malfunctions

One good reason you need to have your fire extinguishers inspected is they can malfunction at any time. Even if they’re brand new, it would be best to take preventive actions and have them inspected to ensure they work when there’s a building fire that people need to put out right away. 

A common problem that happens to fire extinguishers is that they rust and usually start from the bottom. It happens when water touches the base all the time, which erodes the metal and rust forms. The rust can penetrate through the surface, and that can cause the chemicals to pour out, rendering the fire extinguisher useless. 

Comply With Fire-Safety Codes

Another reason you need fire extinguisher inspections is they help you comply with fire safety codes. NFPA laws require commercial building owners to have their fire extinguishers inspected regularly. Usually, you can’t find external issues on the fire extinguisher, and only certified inspectors know to know what issues to look for. If you don’t have your fire extinguishers up to regulation, you may face hefty penalties that could tarnish your commercial building’s reputation. 

Eliminate Potential Hazards and Issues

When you leave a fire extinguisher unused for months, there’s a big chance you will find a bit of rust, cobwebs, and even the lever becoming too challenging to use. You need to address and fix those issues as quickly as possible because you’ll never know when a fire could happen in your building. 

Doing proper fire extinguisher inspections should eliminate those issues and keep it functional until someone uses it. One potential danger when using an unmaintained fire extinguisher is it could blow up. That usually happens when there’s a heavy physical force applied to its exterior, and when you use it, it will explode. When that happens, the user and everybody else near it could get severely injured, and you wouldn’t want that happening within the building. 

Fire extinguishers are the most critical fire preventive measures any building should have. They enable people who spot small building fires and extinguish them before they grow and spread throughout the building. People have avoided countless building fires because of properly maintained fire extinguishers. 

If you need high-quality fire extinguishers and other products to keep your building updated for fire prevention, you should contact us at all times!