Portable fire
extinguishers are the first line of defense in the event of an
uncontrolled fire. Employees have extinguished over 90% of the
fires in commercial facilities with hand operated portable fire
extinguishers. Properly maintained fire extinguishers are vital to
any company's survival. In
Massachusetts
, employers are
required to provide and maintain life safety devices for their
employees. The servicing of this equipment is based on both NFPA and
OSHA Standards. The authority having jurisdiction is charged with
enforcing the upkeep of the required equipment.
Why do you
need your fire extinguishers checked?
In the Massachusetts State
Building Code 780 CMR 920.0, NFPA 10 as published by the National
Fire Protection Association (NFPA) is referenced as to where
portable fire extinguishers are to be located and maintained. OSHA
Standard 1910.157
as written by the Occupational
Safety & Health Administration sets forth the
requirements that employers must follow to protect their employees in
the workplace.
"Fire Extinguishing Equipment shall be inspected when initially
placed in service and thereafter at approximately 30-day intervals, or
at more frequent intervals when circumstances require."
Why do you
need your emergency lights checked?
Section 31-1.3.7 of the National
Fire Protection Association's Life
Safety Code 101 states that "A functional test shall be conducted
on every required emergency lighting system at 30-day intervals for a
minimum of 30 seconds. An annual test shall be conducted for the 1
1/2 hour duration. Equipment shall be fully operational for the
duration of the test. Written records of visual inspections and
tests shall be kept by the owner for inspection by the authority having
jurisdiction."
Why do you
need your fire hose checked?
The National
Fire Protection Association's Standard 1962 requires specific
testing for fire hose used by building occupants. Service tests
are required five (5) years after installation and every three (3) years
thereafter. The hose, nozzle, racking equipment, and related
hardware are required to be physically inspected at least annually.
