Attmt 4 - NFPA 10 CH. 7.pdf

This document is a fire extinguisher inspection, maintenance, and recharging standard detailing comprehensive requirements for fire extinguisher service and upkeep.

The standard establishes responsibility for fire extinguisher inspection, maintenance, and recharging with property owners or their designated agents. Certified personnel must perform maintenance and recharging, with certification requiring passage of a test administered by an authority-approved organization covering the standard's content. Inspection personnel do not require certification. Fire extinguishers removed from service must be immediately replaced with suitable alternatives of equal or greater rating. Initial inspections occur upon placement in service, with subsequent inspections conducted manually or electronically at intervals not exceeding 31 days, or at minimum monthly. Additional visual inspections are required for locations with high fire frequency, severe hazards, mechanical injury risks, or abnormal temperatures and corrosive atmospheres. Inspection procedures include verification of location, visibility, access, pressure gauge readings, fullness, equipment condition, and safety seals. Deficiencies require immediate corrective action; nonrechargeable dry chemical and halon extinguishers with deficiencies must be removed from service and destroyed or returned to manufacturers. Electronic monitoring systems require annual testing with 100 percent unit verification upon initial installation and annually thereafter.

Maintenance procedures include thorough examination of mechanical parts, extinguishing agents, expelling means, and physical condition, following manufacturer service manuals. Internal examinations occur at specified intervals ranging from one to six years depending on extinguisher type, as detailed in Table 7.3.3.1. Stored-pressure water extinguishers require recharging every 12 months; wetting agent extinguishers require annual agent replacement; foam extinguishers require agent replacement following manufacturer instructions not exceeding five-year intervals. Dry chemical agents must not be mixed with alkaline-based chemicals. Only specified agents may be used for recharging, with weight verification required. Nitrogen pressurization must meet CGA G-10.1 specifications with a maximum dew point of −60°F. Recharge record keeping requires tags or labels identifying maintenance dates, performing personnel, and agency names; verification-of-service collars must be installed around container necks after valve removal maintenance. Six-year internal examination labels must be self-destructive and affixed by heatless process. Electronic monitoring system components require annual testing including power supply inspection, sensor inspection, and connection continuity verification. Weight scales used for maintenance and recharging must provide accurate readings per service manual specifications.