CE marking of fire extinguishers

[TFEM]

Does anyone have access to a short concise summary of the requirement for CE marking of fire extinguishers? In particular in relation to refurbished products...a customer is querying the fact that their refurbished CO2 units do not have a mark.
Thanks

[AnthonyB]

Refurbished extinguishers (of any age) do not require a CE mark - they are refurbished, not new products and it would be in breach of the CE marking directive for them to bear the CE Mark.

Equipment that was manufactured after 2002 must be CE marked and extinguishers found not to be so marked should be condemned (their import and sale would also have been illegal in the first place)

By affixing the CE marking on a product, a manufacturer is declaring, on his sole responsibility, conformity with all of the legal requirements to achieve CE marking and therefore ensuring validity for that product to be sold throughout the European Economic Area. This also applies to products made in third countries which are sold in the EEA. With extinguishers this is required as they are Simple Pressure Vessels.

Be wary - fake CE marks or suspiciously similar looking 'China Export' marks are sometimes used on non conforming product!

SIMPLE SUMMARY
Refurbishment is not manufacture and outside the scope of the CE Marking Directive. A refurbished extinguisher is legal without bearing a CE mark

[VW41]

In addition to the original question, I have just had a call from a property where the local fire extinguisher contractor has told the owner that "all the extinguishers and fire blankets must be replaced, as they do not carry a CE mark."  I have not yet been to this property but the owner is complaining that "it was all ok last year."  I know that they do not have asbestos blankets and that they are BS 1869.

Thanks to Anthony's reply, I understand the distinction between those manufactured after 2002 and refurbished units.  Pressed a little further, it seems the contractor is quoting BS EN 3-10 (May 2010) to support the requirement to replace extinguishers and blankets?  I have had a look at BS EN 3-10 and BS EN 3-7.  To me, it appears that the testing of extinguishers by manufacturers and guidance on servicing of portable extinguishers has been reviewed.  As to how fire blankets feature in this, I was not able to clarify. 

Possibly, the service contractor is saying that they can no longer service the existing units in line with BS EN 3-10 guidance?  If the extinguishers were manufactured before 2002, do they now have to be replaced?  By the time I had tried to digest all of BS5306, BS EN 3-7 & 10 I was getting a little word weary.  Would one of those kind persons who are up to speed on such matters clarify the above for all of us, please.     Thank you. 

[Davo]

Look for a new contractor....


davo

[Goodsparks]

Not from Elland are they ?

[Tom Sutton]

it seems the contractor is quoting BS EN 3-10 (May 2010) to support the requirement to replace extinguishers and blankets?

I far as I understand BS EN 3-10 is about the manufacture of extinguishers which would not apply to extinguishers manufactured before 2002.  The testing and maintenance is subject to BS 5306-3:2009 Commissioning and maintenance of portable fire extinguishers surely that is the standard that needs to be studied.

[AnthonyB]

I've been away & only just caught up with this.

The contractor is talking utter rubbish & should be referred to Trading Standards.

BSEN3 (all parts) is a MANUFACTURING standard and only applies in the factory of manufacture & assembly and revisions to parts only apply to the manufacturing process from their implementation. It has no application to equipment once it has left the factory gates - BS5306-3:2009 applies here.

Fire blankets are covered by BSEN 1869 and unless contaminated, damaged or stiffened may remain in service.

Where is the client - I would be more than happy to not only service their equipment but cross swords with the existing contractor for them!

I too wonder if they are a member company of a certain group that has the name of our capital city in it (& have a West Riding connection!)  and charge £150-£300 per extinguisher, instead of the normal £30-£70 range.

They are using jargon to miss-sell and may be committing a criminal offence by doing so. If it is one of the companies that some of us suspect then they have already been convicted various times over the last 40 years for this sort of thing.

[VW41]

Many thanks to all who responded.  The information provided has proved very helpful. 

The contractor was invited to produce a brief written report clarifying his recommendations and his reasons for wholesale replacement of both extinguishers AND blankets.  We are still waiting for this....

In the meantime, I have been able to advise the site manager based on the information supplied on this Forum and increase my own knowledge in time for the next enquiry!

Thanks to all.

I'll post another message should the 'written report' ever materialise........