This page is full of example questions we have been asked before, or are helpful insights into all of the topics we cover at GetTesting. If you have any questions you still can’t find the answer to, please feel free to drop us an email at hello@gettesting.co.uk and we will do our best to answer your question.
Fire Extinguishers
Mostly, yes, although it depends on the type. Refilling Dry Powder extinguishers is not straightforward as the valves require cleaning to make sure the power has not contaminated it on discharge. Aerosol-type extinguishers are sealed and cannot be serviced. For some types, it’s cheaper to buy new & recycle the old extinguisher than to refill.
Fire extinguishers must be disposed of by a competent person. If they are under pressure they are extremely dangerous and should never be placed in general waste. The contents must be disposed of in different ways depending on what they are. The bodies, once empty and unpressurised, are mostly metal and will be sent for recycling once made safe by a fire extinguisher engineer. To make it simple we can deal with this for you while servicing.
At least once per year, with annually being the most common frequency of servicing.
BSEN3 is the standard that dictates fire extinguishers should be 95% red with up to 5% of another colour to identify the type of extinguisher. The different colour codes are:
Water = Red
Dry Powder = Blue
Foam = Cream
CO2 = Black
Wet Chemical = Yellow
Any extinguishers over 2kg, and a 2kg CO2, should have their handles mounted at 1m from the floor level.
Any fire extinguishers smaller than this, should have their handles mounted at 1.5m from the ground.
This handy graphic shows you exactly what type of fire each extinguisher can be used on. If you’re not sure or if you have specialist risks such as flammable metals, please get in touch for details of our risk assessment & fire extinguisher selection service.
Different types of fires have different characteristics. What they are fueled by significantly alters how they must be extinguished. The different extinguishers are then located in different areas of the building to ensure that the risks of that area are sufficiently covered.
