Fire protection is one of the most important elements when you are running a business, no matter what kind of establishment it is. Fires and theft are the two main problems that businesses encounter. You want to make sure that you have fire extinguisher service and systems available and that they are functioning properly. Especially if you have a kitchen within your establishment, this is very important. Over half of fires that happen in restaurants involve cooking equipment being the igniters. There are more than 8,000 kitchen fires that are reported in commercial settings each year. One of the main elements that you should have implemented in your company or establishment are fire extinguishers. One study showed that more than when 2,000 fire accidents were examined, more than 80% of them had been able to be put out by the portable fire extinguishers that were near by.
Fire Extinguisher Services
You’ll want to make sure that you regularly engage in fire extinguisher recharge and maintenance. There’s no point in having a fire extinguisher if it is going to clogged up or not working for some reason when the time comes to need it. You probably understand the need to test your alarm systems regularly but the same reason that you need to ensure those kinds of systems work is the same reason you need to check your portable fire extinguishers as well. If you are in need of a fire extinguisher recharge, then you can contact your local fire house and they may offer those kinds of services, otherwise they will know where to direct you. Getting service for fire extinguishers may seem like overkill but as you can see from the statistics above, it could actually save lives as well as your establishment.
Fire Extinguishers and Insurance
Depending on who you have insurance with, you may find that they will not even cover your building if there are not fire extinguishers in place. Even insurance companies understand how helpful they can be. Other insurances may cover you but at a very high premium if you are not willing to take the steps to protect your own establishment. You will have to talk to your insurance company to find out what they require as far as fire insurance goes and what you need to have in place. Don’t be surprised if they require a minimum number of fire extinguishers.
Fire Extinguisher Maintenance
Some easy but important things to do are:
- Make sure that the extinguisher is not blocked by anything like equipment or coats or anything that could hinder easy easy to the extinguisher in case of a fire.
- Check that the pressure level is at the right level. You know this because the need in the gauge will be in the green zone which shows it is not to low or to high.
- Ensure that the pin and the needle are both intact, if you extinguisher has these.
- Inspect the fire extinguisher at a minimum of once a month.
These inspections and fire extinguisher recharges should be done professional. An inspection should be done once a month as mentioned and a fire extinguisher recharge should be done immediately after any kind of use. It doesn’t matter how much or little they were used, if there was any use at all, even by accident, make sure it gets recharged or replaced.
Fire Extinguisher Cost
Fire Extinguishers are not cheap but they are not incredibly expensive either. You can get them through a fire protection company which will probably save you money if you need to buy them in bulk or you can buy them privately and individually for anywhere between 30 and 100 dollars. Your best bet is to go through a fire company because they can guarantee their fire extinguishers and make sure that they are fully functional and up to code. Some companies will offer discounted maintenance when you buy a certain amount which can also save you money and time trying to find a good maintenance company. The company you buy from will be the most familiar with their type of extinguishers and know what needs to be done to them.
Make sure that you research before buying the first thing you see. This is about keeping people safe not just adhering to the law.
