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FIRE SERVICE AND GENERAL FIRE SAFETY TOPICS => Technical Advice => Topic started by: jayjay on August 14, 2012, 01:00:01 PM
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Opinions please on the the checking of the sealed 2kg Dry Powder extinguishers this is the type that have a limited life such as 5 years.
We are wanting a type that are to be placed on quite a few vehicles to comply with ADR and DSEAR mainly carrying petrol used for various tools.
They will be inspected daily as part of the vehicle check but what we will have difficulty with is an annual service by a competent engineer as detailed in the current BS.
Collecting all them together for the testing would be a nightmare.
I am thinking of suggesting the limited life/disposable type and they would be subject to reguler visual inspections by a responsible person as detailed in the BS can any of the fire extinguisher experts advise on this please.
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Unfortunately since the demise of Firemaster there are few genuine limited life/disposable aerosol extinguishers available - you are stuck with 600g & 800g BC or ABC Powders from Britannia, Jactone or Fireblitz.
Firemaster used to have a nice range of 1 & 2 kg powders and 1 litre foams that were EN3 approved with gauge but aerosol, but these were discontinued after Britannia bought out the assets of the defunct Firemaster.
Most small powders are now 'proper' refillable extinguishers that can be serviced even though some items like ANAF's extinguishers are usually disposed of at 5 years due to the plastic valve, they are refillable and have full parts available if you want.
VOSA's inspection checklist includes a failure if an extinguisher on a vehicle subject to ADR does not have a current service tag.
The only true limited life/disposable extinguishers you would get anywhere near the 2kg capacity are the Kidde Residential 5lb extinguishers sold in the US - Kidde Europe did sell them over here in the late 90's/early 00's but since moved over to using Gloria extinguishers.
Whilst you see some extinguishers on websites as disposable & similar they are actually not.
A pool stock of serviced extinguishers allows a mostly vehicle based extinguisher inventory to be easily changed over if out of date or part used - this is done by some ADR & police fleets
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Thanks AnthonyB I was hoping for a simple solution. The extinguisher company we use now are very good, but due to the number of vehicles we have I know that they will have difficulties keeping track.
We are concerned as I recently looked on the HSE web site and was amazed at the high number of prosecutions relating to defective or non serviced extinguishers carried on vehicles.
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Can you not buy 10 or 20 and do a rolling service exchange?