Quick answer
Fire extinguishers should be given a quick visual check by the responsible person every month and a basic service by a competent person once a year, with a longer extended service or a replacement at the further intervals set out in BS 5306-3.
An extinguisher is only useful if it works the moment somebody reaches for it, and it can sit untouched for years before that moment comes. A simple routine is what keeps it ready.
The monthly visual check
This one takes a minute per extinguisher and needs no tools. Walk the building and for each unit confirm that:
- it is in its correct position, on its bracket or stand, and not being used as a doorstop;
- the signage above it is in place and the unit is not hidden behind stock, coats or a door;
- the pressure gauge needle sits in the green band, where the type has a gauge;
- the safety pin is in place and the tamper seal is unbroken;
- the body, hose and horn are undamaged, with no dents, corrosion, splits or blockages;
- the service label is present and the last service date is still in date.
Record the check. A simple fire log book, kept with your other fire safety records, is enough, and it is the first thing anybody asks to see.
The annual service
Once a year the extinguishers should be inspected by a competent person working to BS 5306-3, which is the code of practice for the commissioning and maintenance of portable fire extinguishers. That basic service includes weighing the unit, checking the pressure, inspecting the hose and internal parts where the design allows, refitting a new tamper seal and re-labelling with the date. Anything found to be out of specification is repaired, recharged or condemned there and then.
Extended service and replacement
Beyond the annual visit, BS 5306-3 also sets a deeper examination at longer intervals. In practice that is normally an extended service at around five years for water, water additive, foam and powder extinguishers, when the unit is discharged, examined internally and refilled, and an overhaul with a pressure test at around ten years for carbon dioxide extinguishers. The exact interval depends on the type and the manufacturer’s instructions, so your servicing engineer will confirm what your units need. Extinguishers do not last forever, and replacing an older unit is often more sensible than an extended service.
Where this sits legally
In Northern Ireland, fire safety in most non-domestic premises is governed by the Fire and Rescue Services (Northern Ireland) Order 2006 and the Fire Safety Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2010. They place a duty on the appropriate person to carry out a fire risk assessment and to keep fire safety equipment, including extinguishers, in efficient working order. BS 5306-8 covers choosing and positioning extinguishers in the first place, so that the right type is within a reasonable travel distance of the risk it is meant to cover. Homes are not covered by that duty, but the same maintenance routine is sensible for any extinguisher kept at home.
Do not forget the detection
Extinguishers work alongside your detection. A well maintained fire alarm gives the early warning that makes an extinguisher useful in the first place, so the two should be kept in step. If your extinguisher servicing is up to date but nobody can remember the last time the alarm was tested, the alarm is the bigger gap.
When to call us
Get in touch if the gauge on any unit sits outside the green band, if a seal is broken or a pin is missing, if a unit has been discharged even briefly, or if you cannot find a service label. Advanced Overwatch services, replaces and sites fire extinguishers across Northern Ireland, and we design, install and maintain fire alarm systems. That work is carried out by qualified engineers. Call us on 028 7087 8077.
Related reading
- Service page: Fire extinguisher servicing
- Related guide: What does a fault light on my fire alarm panel mean?
- All of our guides: Knowledge Base