BS 5306-3:2009 pdf download – Fire extinguishing installations and equipment on premises – Part 3: Commissioning and maintenance of portable fre extinguishers – Code of practice
3.14 recharging maintenance procedure carried out after complete or partial discharge of an extinguisher, or as part of a scheduled maintenance procedure, to restore the extinguisher to its full operational condition
3.15 responsible person person or persons responsible for, or having effective control over, fre safety provisions adopted in or appropriate to the premises or building or risk where an extinguisher is installed NOTE For the purposes of this part of BS 5306, the term “responsible person” includes a nominated representative, and is the person defned by this term in the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 [1]. 3)
3.16 stored pressure extinguisher extinguisher from which the extinguishing medium is expelled, on the actuation of the operating mechanism, by pressure stored within the body
3.17 test discharge discharge of extinguishing medium under controlled conditions by, or under the supervision of, a competent person
4 Process of commissioning
4.1 Commissioning The commissioning of an extinguisher should be carried out by a competent person as defned in 3.6. Upon removal from its packaging and transit protection, and immediately prior to placing in its designated place, the extinguisher should undergo the sequence of commissioning service actions described in Annex B, taking into account the safety precautions given in Annex C. Additionally, if the manufacturer has not marked the mass of the extinguisher or a nominal range of mass for the extinguisher, the competent person should consult the manufacturer’s workshop manual for that model or consult with the manufacturer to obtain this information. Upon completion of the above procedures the extinguisher should then be installed and positioned in accordance with BS 5306-8.
4.2 Mounting Small extinguishers with a total mass up to and including 4 kg should be mounted so as to position the handle approximately 1.5 m from the foor, but the carrying handle of larger, heavier extinguishers should be approximately 1 m from the foor.
Extinguishers sited in schools can be particularly susceptible to being dislodged. Where practicable, they should be installed in recessed housings, or in suitable cabinets appropriate to the specifc location (e.g. no sharp edges or corners). Any mounting bracket used should conform to BS EN 3-7:2004+A1:2007, Clause 13.
5 Visual inspection by the responsible person The responsible person should carry out visual inspections of all extinguishers regularly. These visual inspections should be carried out at least monthly. When circumstances require, inspections should be carried out more frequently.
NOTE 1 Fire legislation [1–3] and its associated Guidance Notes suggest that good practice is to determine whether the extinguisher has been operated and to check for damage on a weekly basis. When carrying out these visual inspections, it should be ensured that:
a) each extinguisher is correctly located in the designated place;
b) each extinguisher is unobstructed and visible;
c) the operating instructions of each extinguisher are clean and legible and face outwards;
d) each extinguisher has not been operated and is not obviously damaged or has any missing parts;
e) the reading of any pressure gauge or indicator ftted to an extinguisher is within operational and safety limits;
f) the seals and tamper indicators of each extinguisher are not broken or missing.
The responsible person should record the results of these visual inspections and arrange for corrective action, where necessary, by a competent person. In the event of doubt, the responsible person should arrange for a competent person to examine the extinguisher. NOTE 2 Responsible persons have obligations under fre legislation [1–3] to use a competent person to maintain extinguishing equipment in an effcient state, in effcient working order and in good repair, where it is necessary to provide such equipment to safeguard employees in the event of fre.