Fire Equipment Maintenance Services

Fire extinguishers and other fire safety equipment must be maintained in order to comply with various state and federal government standards. While fire extinguishers do not typically have an expiration date, there are a number of key standards that must be adhered to in order to comply with the guidelines.

To comply with Australian Workplace Safety Standards, portable fire equipment is required to be regularly inspected, tested, and serviced by an accredited professional. Fire blankets, emergency lighting and smoke detectors also need to be regularly tested.

The standard applying to fire extinguishers is specified in the Australian Standard AS 1851 Maintenance of Fire Protection Systems and Equipment (www.standards.org.au). This guidelines state that:

• All fire extinguishers must be inspected every six months.
• If an extinguisher does not have a pressure gauge, it may need to be weighed to check if it is still full.
• Other fire extinguisher servicing requirements may be needed such as having them emptied, pressure tested, and refilled every 3 to 5 years.
• The fire extinguisher testing intervals are to be recorded on a label or metal tag attached to the unit.
• A visual inspection of the extinguisher shows that it is in a serviceable condition.
• Any additional fire extinguisher maintenance required must be approved by the client before being carried out.

Depending on the type of fire extinguisher, an overhaul may be required every one to five years (www.safeworkaustralia.gov.au).

Even if only partially used, fire extinguishers must also be refilled between the five year services.

In all cases, fire extinguishers are required to be recharged after every use and checked even if it hasn’t been used.

Various standards apply to the Building Code of Australia (BCA). You can read about those standards here.

For more information, please check the following links:

• www.standards.org.au
• www.safeworkaustralia.gov.au
• www.workplaceohs.com.au
• www.hia.com.au