Your fire extinguisher has been working for a while and you're wondering whether it's time to retire it.. Great sentimentalist after all you've been through together, you'd like to go one more mile with him. But a tired fire extinguisher can't keep you going safety as on the first day.. What to do? How do you know if it's just good for decoration or destined for the scrap heap? Is it possible to give it a second lease of life to prolong its life? length of service so many questions that it's not always easy to answer... So here's a summary of what's on offer kEY DATA to know about it.

Official regulations

Having equipment at your disposal that is maintained in good working order is a key factor in your success fundamental regulatory objectiveeffective protection is essential, especially as the effectiveness of extinguishers depends on their proper maintenance.

It's standard NFS 61-919 to refer to in this matter. It distinguishes between two types control :

• Inspections that can be carried out by the user.
• Maintenance must be carried out by a competent person.

Inspections are voluntary and can be done every three monthsduring an inspection, plant personnel or a qualified auditor check the following points:

• All devices are in the right place.
• They are perfectly accessible, clearly visible and in good external condition.
• Instructions for use are affixed, legible and outward-facing.
• The pressure indicator needles are located in the green section (for extinguishers with a pressure gauge).
• The security seals on the pin are not broken or missing.

Maintenance must be carried out every yearbut what do we mean by "? competent person "It's a " person employed by a certified company or organization who has the required training and experience "[1]the training in question gives access to the diploma extinguisher tester. Once this task has been completed, the extinguisher must " be " inscribed and dated on the extinguisher label.

In addition to special features, the service and maintenance intervals are as follows:

What about recharging and servicing?

According to standard NFS 61-919, extinguishers must be recharged, or even replaced, after they have been used, whether partially or totally. The label on the extinguishers concerned must then be updated, bearing the words " "recharged" " and the date of recharging.

Workshop revisionmust be carried out in a workshop approved by one of the manufacturers and which has the appropriate equipment, personnel and documentation. Information on this subject can be found in Appendix D of the above-mentioned standard. However, this operation can be costly, so it may be more advantageous to purchase a new extinguisher.

Various documents have also been written to provide users with the best possible guidance:

• APSAD R4 standard published by CNPP, defines the minimum maintenance requirements for fire extinguisher installations in industrial, commercial and service sector buildings, and can be used as a contractual basis between insurer and insured.
• Practical guide to the maintenance of portable, mobile and fixed fire extinguishers is a great source of information.

In addition, it is always useful to carry out the steps below:

• Check that fire extinguishers are always appropriate for the risks involved.
• Make sure their location is always appropriate.
• Keep abreast of new equipment arriving on the market.

Once you have fulfilled these obligations, it is important to reference them in the safety logbook in order to monitor them effectively.

[1] http://www.inrs.fr/media.html?refINRS=ED%206054