Fire Extinguisher installation & Service

Extinguishers must be installed correctly in order to comply with regulations, meet specific insurance standards and provide your premises with complete protection.

Fire extinguisher installation & location

It is important that before installation a fire risk assessment be carried out by a competent person in order to determine the building's fire hazard level and to identify the optimal location for each unit to be placed.

Fire Extinguishers must be placed in a permanent location that is clearly visible and available for immediate use at all times. To ensure units are not moved or relocated, they should be mounted to a wall, within a floor bracket or placed within a cabinet. If mounted to a wall or extinguisher stand, smaller units (up to 4kg) must have their handles at least 1.5 meters from the floor and larger units must be mounted at least 1 metres from the floor. This is to prevent people tripping over them in the event of a fire and to ensure they are immediately accessible.

All units should be placed along escape routes to prevent people moving towards a fire in search of an extinguisher. The maximum distance between each fire extinguisher will depend on the hazard level identified during the fire risk assessment.

Different Classes of Fire Extinguishers

Fire Extinguishers can be separated into five main classes - Water, Foam, CO2, Wet Chemical and Dry Power. These are all designed to help suppress different types of fire, relating to the ignition source and the fuel that is being burnt. The chart below will help you to identify the various extinguishers that are required:

Fire Extinguisher Compatibility Chart

Fire Extinguisher Requirements For Commercial Premises

The Fire Safety Order 2005 states that commercial premises should be fitted with a minimum of 2 "Class A" fire extinguishers on every floor of a building. Class A extinguishers are either 3 or 6-litre foam extinguishers or a 9-litre water extinguisher. Your building will need a minimum of 2 of these on each floor. Depending on the activities that you undertake in the building, you are likely to need other classes of extinguishers to combat specific fire risks which may be present.

Commissioning service

All new fire extinguishers must undergo an initial on-site inspection by a competent person in order to check they are in good working condition and have not been damaged during delivery. Failure to do so may result in your fire insurance cover being invalidated, making this a

Annual service

It is a legal requirement for non-domestic premises that fire extinguishers must be inspected annually by a competent person to ensure they meet the standards set out by the British Standards Institution(BSi). Annual serving ensures that all fire extinguishers function properly, there is no corrosion to the unit and there has been no partial or complete discharge.We can provide a replacement BS 5306-3-compliant extinguisher should any extinguishers fail the inspection.

All our technicians are BAFE qualified and ee hold specialist fire protection efficacy insurance, meaning that in the unlikely event that an extinguisher which has been passed fails to work, any financial loss occurred as a result of fire damage will be covered by us.

Discharge & pressure testing

As well as annual servicing, extinguishers must be fully discharged after long periods of inactivity.this is to check that everything still functions properly and there is no internal damage to the unit. We recommended that water, powder, wet chemical and foam extinguishers should undergo this extended service every 5 years and CO2 every ten years.

How We Can Help

At Sygma Fire Services, we have the technical expertise and regulatory understanding to assist you with the purchase and placement of all fire extinguishers in your building. We also offer annual servicing, inspection and fire extinguisher maintenance. For more information please contact us here.