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Regular fire extinguisher inspections aren’t just good practice: they’re essential. This guide outlines the importance of routine inspections to ensure compliance with NFPA and OSHA standards, preventing fines and malfunction during emergencies. Learn how often inspections should occur, who can perform them, and what exactly to look for during monthly visual checks. Plus, get tips for finding certified professionals for annual and periodic maintenance. Stay safe, compliant, and prepared with this clear, actionable fire extinguisher inspection guide.
Regular inspections ensure that fire extinguishers are compliant, meeting NFPA and OSHA requirements. Specifically, they should be:
Neglecting inspections can lead to fines and worse: malfunctioning equipment during emergencies, posing significant risks.
Fire extinguisher inspections have different requirements at multiple frequencies. To align with OSHA's 29 CFR 1910.157 and NFPA 10 standards, it's important to do the following:
These monthly visual inspections can be done by anyone that has been trained to recognize obvious physical problems such as damage, obstructions, missing seals, or gauge abnormalities. For instance, they can be done in-house by trained employees. Formal training or certification is NOT explicitly required for these basic monthly inspections, unlike annual maintenance, which typically requires certification or professional servicing.
Use this step-by-step checklist during monthly inspections:
Want to print out this checklist? Click here: Fire Extinguisher Inspection Checklist for Monthly Inspections
Annual inspections should be conducted by certified professionals who will:
These thorough checks ensure long-term reliability and compliance with safety regulations.
You will need to find a business with proper licensing to perform this maintenance and inspection. You should be able to find several licensed businesses by searching for fire extinguisher businesses in your city or surrounding area, through Google or Yelp. From there, you can contact several businesses and receive a quote for their services.
You can also ask other business owners or operators for referrals or recommendations.
Regular fire extinguisher inspections are a critical component of a comprehensive fire safety plan. By following this checklist and adhering to inspection schedules, you ensure that your fire extinguishers are ready to perform when needed, safeguarding lives and property. Further, you will avoid fines and headaches when dealing with Authorities Having Jurisdiction (AHJs) who perform routine inspections to ensure your property is up to code.
Regular fire-alarm inspections are critical for life safety, code compliance, and liability protection, but manual scheduling, paperwork, and follow-up can drain time and revenue. The post outlines best-practice steps—planning by NFPA 72 schedules, using detailed checklists, thorough documentation, and rapid deficiency repairs—and shows how modern software automates these tasks, optimizing technician routes, generating instant NFPA-compliant reports, and converting deficiencies into one-click quotes and invoices. Adopting an all-in-one platform like Essential lets fire-protection companies complete more inspections with the same staff while ensuring no requirement slips through the cracks.
Fire extinguisher inspections are critical for safety and compliance, but they don’t have to be confusing or time-consuming. This post offers practical tips to make fire extinguisher inspections easier and more effective—like how to tell if you need more frequent checks, what to look for during monthly walkarounds, and when to bring in a licensed technician. It also highlights how tools like inspection apps and smart software can automate due dates, streamline reporting, and speed up quoting and invoicing. Whether you’re a technician or business owner, these tips help you stay compliant while saving time and money.
