ECN Forum Forums General Topics of the Trade General Discussion Area What about Fire Extinguishers riding in your.....

service trucks. Every work truck, material truck, boom truck, bucket truck, gut truck, butt truck, what truck? , etc., etc., etc. that my company owns has a fire extinguisher in it. We have a service that checks the extinguishers, and tags them. These tags are good (the tags that I have seen anyway) for like 2 or 3 years. The one in my truck expires in 2005. Today we had one of the company safety "Over Lords" come out to a job site. He "hit" one our guys for not having a monthly inspection on his fire exstinguisher. Now, am I missing something here? Does OSHA have a "reg" that requires fire extinguishers to be checked monthly? I'm faced with the following choices:
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[*]Setting my truck on fire once a month so I can get a new fire exstinguisher, and not worry about it.

[*]Finding the correct rule, and conforming to it.

[*]Not conforming, and having the safety guy's legs broken by some gang members each time he questions me about my fire extinguisher.

[*]Set the safety guy on fire, and when he askes me to put him out, tell him I can't because my fire extinguisher hasn't had a monthly inspection.
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I thought I would ask before I got out the matches.

About to invest in a Zippo,
Doc

The monthly checks are just visual checks. Anyone can do them and mark the tag. You look for the proper pressure as indicated on the guage, for dammage, rust and missing parts. The ones that are done every so many years involve a hydrostatic test and refill of the extinguishing agent. In many case, for small extinguishers, it is cheaper to buy a new one than then to have them tested.
Look at: http://www.ctconnect.com/sheltonfire/Inspection%20of%20Portable%20Fire%20Extinguishers.htm
Don

Well, since setting the truck on fire once a month would require new tools each month thats not a viable option. I think I would find out what the rule is and still perform C and D as needed.

Wish I could be of more help.
wirewiz

In the factory we always did a monthly visualy of the fire extinguishers, there were 22 inside, I had to do it on the day I done my inventory of all materials so it was easy to remember it.
Our insurance provider recomended it, and we had an annual outside firm service them, They also provided free training to all employees on how to use them and see it they were charged at all times.
I guess if you did a spare parts check of the items on the truck monthly you could put the check on a sheet with this, along with jack, lug wrench spare tire pressure, fluids, ect.
I guess it depends on how big you are as to how much paperwork you are forced to inititate.

Hi Doc,
I talked to the guy serviceing the extinguishers here where I work, and he said in addition to the visual inspection, if it is one of the dry powder types, make sure to take it out of its holder and turn it upside down and shake it, apparently the powder has a tendancy to pack, espescially in a situation like on a truck where it gets vibrated a lot,
They don't work so good if the powder is packed in the bottom.
Also sounds like you guys are doing a good job if the saftey inspector was so frustrated that he had to work to find something to gig you on!
Trainwire

NFPA references some ASME code that requires monthly visual checks. But I didn't know it applies to anything other than buildings.

There are 12 lines on the back of the inspection tag. These are for monthly checks to be recorded. Date and initial.

Maintguy—almost sounds like the inspection is secondary to the card signoff...the endless paper trail.

Bj,
Oh how right you are. The all encompassing issue in this post and the last few that I have made is not about maintenance. It's about the documentation that is needed to "prove" that you have done the maintenance, had the training, have the proper equipment, yaddi...yaddi....yah

Yaddi Yah,
Doc

What good is a extinguisher is one is not trained to use it appropriatley?
Or to recognize B from C class fires, etc.....

10-4 and Boy Howdy there, sparky. Been asking that of various {non-construction} employers for years.

{Class D was always a weird one to me.}


[This message has been edited by Bjarney (edited 07-03-2002).]