When Was Your Fire Extinguisher Last Serviced? A Practical Checklist for Business Owners

Fire extinguishers are easy to overlook.

They are usually mounted on a wall, placed in a cabinet or positioned near an exit. Because they are not used during normal business operations, months can pass without anyone looking closely at them.

That creates a simple but important question:

When was your fire extinguisher last checked, and was that check carried out by the right person?

A business owner or appointed staff member can perform a basic visual check to identify obvious problems. However, that check does not replace professional fire extinguisher inspection, maintenance, testing, recharging, reconditioning or certification.

South Africa’s General Safety Regulations require employers to provide suitable fire-fighting equipment at strategic locations, taking account of the workplace and its fire risks, and to keep that equipment in good working order. The National Building Regulations also place responsibilities on building owners to ensure that extinguishers are installed, maintained and serviced in accordance with the applicable South African standard.

This article explains what you can safely observe, what warning signs should be reported and when professional attention is needed.

Practical fire-extinguisher checklist for business owners

Use this checklist as an external, non-invasive observation.

Do not remove components or operate the extinguisher simply to see whether it works.

1. Is the extinguisher visible?

You should be able to identify the extinguisher and its position without searching behind furniture, machinery, shelving or stock.

Where signage has been installed, check that it is still visible and has not been removed or covered.

2. Is access clear?

There should be a clear path to the extinguisher.

Look for boxes, pallets, vehicles, office furniture, waste bins, cleaning equipment or stored materials blocking access.

An extinguisher may still be physically present while being practically unavailable.

3. Is it in its designated position?

Check whether it appears to be on its proper bracket, stand or extinguisher cabinet and has not been moved elsewhere for convenience.

A missing extinguisher, an empty bracket or an extinguisher standing loose on the floor should be reported.

4. Are the operating instructions readable?

The main operating label should be visible and reasonably easy to read.

Report labels that are badly faded, painted over, torn, peeling away or facing the wall.

Do not replace an original instruction label with an unofficial homemade label.

5. Does the cylinder appear undamaged?

Without handling the equipment unnecessarily, look for:

· Dents

· Deep scratches

· Cracks

· Bulging

· Severe paint loss

· Heat damage

· Other visible distortion

Any concern about the condition of the cylinder should be referred to a professional.

6. Are there signs of corrosion, leakage or residue?

Look around the cylinder, valve, discharge hose and fittings for rust, staining, powder residue, moisture, oily deposits or other signs that the unit may be leaking or deteriorating.

Do not try to clean, tighten or repair a suspected leak yourself.

7. Do the discharge hose and nozzle appear intact?

Where the extinguisher has a discharge hose or nozzle, check for obvious cracking, splitting, crushing, blockage, loose fittings or missing parts.

This remains a visual check. Do not disconnect the discharge hose to examine it internally.

8. Are the handle, safety pin and tamper seal intact?

Where fitted, the safety pin should appear to be in position and the tamper-evident seal should not be broken or missing.

A broken seal does not automatically prove that the extinguisher was discharged, but it does require investigation by the responsible person and, where appropriate, professional attention.

9. Is the pressure indicator in the marked operating range?

Some extinguisher types have a pressure gauge or indicator. Others do not.

Where a gauge is fitted, check whether the needle appears within the operating range marked on the gauge. Do not assume that a gauge reading alone proves the extinguisher is fully compliant or ready for service.

Do not tap the gauge, release pressure or operate the handle.

10. Is the service label present and readable?

Look for the service or reconditioning label and any related inspection record.

The label should not be so damaged or faded that the relevant information cannot be established.

A label by itself is not a substitute for proper service records, but a missing or unreadable label is a reason to investigate.

11. Has the recorded due date passed?

Check the recorded service or maintenance information.

When the due date has passed, cannot be read or cannot be confirmed from your records, contact an appropriate fire-equipment service provider.

Do not guess a new date or alter the service label.

12. Has the extinguisher been used or possibly partly discharged?

An extinguisher that has been discharged, even briefly, should not simply be returned to its bracket.

Signs may include:

· A broken seal

· A missing pin

· Discharge residue

· An altered pressure indication

· Reports from staff that it was operated

· Damage following an incident

Arrange professional assessment and restore the required fire-protection coverage for the area.

13. Do staff know what to do when they find a problem?

Employees do not all need to become extinguisher technicians.

They should, however, know:

· Where extinguishers are located

· Who is responsible for routine checks

· How to report a defect

· Who may authorise professional servicing

· That damaged equipment should not be tampered with

· What to do if an extinguisher has been used

These observations reflect the purpose of standards-based site control: identifying accessibility problems, tampering, visible damage and expired maintenance information without undertaking regulated technical work.

Warning signs that require professional attention

Contact a professional service provider when:

· The service date is overdue or cannot be confirmed

· The service label is missing or unreadable

· The extinguisher has been used or may have been partly discharged

· The tamper seal is broken or the safety pin is missing

· A fitted pressure indicator is outside its marked operating range

· The cylinder is dented, corroded, leaking, distorted or heat-damaged

· The discharge hose, nozzle, handle or fittings are damaged

· The operating instructions are no longer readable

· The extinguisher has fallen, been struck or been exposed to harsh conditions

· There is uncertainty about whether the extinguisher is suitable for the risk

· The premises, layout, stock or business activity has changed

· A fire-risk assessment, insurer, manufacturer or local authority requires attention

Professional input is also appropriate when no one can establish the equipment’s maintenance history.

Visual check versus professional servicing

A routine visual check

A responsible person can generally:

· Confirm that the extinguisher is present

· Check visibility and access

· Look for obvious external damage

· Observe the seal, pin and gauge where fitted

· Read the service information

· Record the date and any problem found

· Report the issue for corrective action

Professional inspection or servicing

An authorised professional may perform work such as:

· Technical inspection

· Servicing or reconditioning

· Refilling or recharging

· Repair or component replacement

· Approved pressure testing or revalidation

· Applying the appropriate service records or certification

· Determining whether equipment should remain in service

The Pressure Equipment Regulations restrict technical work on extinguishers to authorised persons employed by permit holders. SANS 1475-1 addresses the production of reconditioned portable and wheeled rechargeable extinguishers, while SANAS accreditation schedules confirm that certification schemes exist for this standard.

Testing and revalidation requirements can differ according to the extinguisher type, cylinder and applicable standard. A business owner should therefore not apply a single pressure-testing or replacement interval to every extinguisher.

When should a fire extinguisher be serviced?

The most reliable answer is:

Arrange servicing by the recorded due date and sooner whenever the extinguisher has been used, damaged, tampered with or cannot be confirmed as serviceable.

Do not rely on a general internet interval without checking:

· The extinguisher’s service record

· The current applicable standard

· Manufacturer guidance

· Local fire-safety requirements

· The premises’ fire-risk assessment

· Advice from an authorised service provider

Many businesses use scheduled maintenance programmes, but the correct action for a particular unit should be determined from its records and the requirements applying to that equipment and premises.

Record-keeping and service labels

A simple fire-equipment register makes routine control easier.

For each extinguisher, record:

· A unique asset or equipment number

· Its normal location

· Its type and size

· Manufacturer and serial number, where available

· The last professional service date

· The recorded next due date

· Dates of routine visual checks

· The name or initials of the person completing the check

· Any defect found

· The date corrective action was requested

· The date the problem was closed

· Relevant service-provider documentation

Keep invoices, service reports, certificates and defect reports together with the register where appropriate.

The objective is not to create paperwork for its own sake. It is to make sure that a reported problem leads to action.

A practical workplace example

Consider a small warehouse with an extinguisher mounted near the receiving door.

Over time, incoming cartons are temporarily stacked in front of it. The extinguisher is still on the wall, and its gauge appears normal, so staff assume everything is fine.

During the monthly site-control check, the appointed employee notices three problems:

· Access is obstructed.

· The operating label is partly hidden.

· The service information cannot be read clearly.

The employee does not remove the valve, test the handle or try to update the label.

Instead, the stock is moved, the problem is recorded and a professional service provider is contacted to confirm the extinguisher’s maintenance status.

That is exactly what a useful visual check should achieve: identify a problem early and send it to the right person.

Common mistakes businesses should avoid

Mistake: assuming a gauge in the normal range means everything is compliant

A gauge provides only one piece of information, and not every extinguisher has one.

It does not confirm that:

· The extinguishing agent is in the correct condition

· The discharge hose is internally clear

· The cylinder has passed required testing

· The unit is suitable for the present risk

· The service date is current

· Internal components are functional

· The extinguisher has been maintained by an authorised person

Other common mistakes include blocking extinguishers with stock, moving them without updating the register, ignoring broken tamper seals and allowing untrained employees to attempt repairs.

What to do when an extinguisher has been used or damaged

When an extinguisher has been discharged or damaged:

· Report it immediately.

· Do not return it to service simply because it still feels full.

· Mark or control it so that staff do not rely on it as available equipment.

· Arrange professional assessment, recharging, repair, reconditioning or replacement as appropriate.

· Make sure the area does not remain without the required level of fire protection.

· Update the equipment register and incident records.

· Review why the extinguisher was used and whether any wider fire-safety action is needed.

Do not dismantle, refill, pressurise, repair or certify the extinguisher yourself. Regulated technical work must be handled by an appropriately authorised person.

Your practical next step

Walk through your premises with the checklist today.

Do not operate or dismantle the equipment. Simply confirm that each extinguisher is present, visible, accessible, apparently undamaged and supported by readable service information.

Record anything that is uncertain.

Walker Bay Fire Engineering’s confirmed service information includes SANS 1475 services and installations, as well as servicing of fire extinguishers, fire hose reels, underground hydrants and above-ground hydrants. Contact Walker Bay Fire Engineering to discuss the inspection, servicing or fire-safety support appropriate to your premises.

Important: This article provides general information. It does not replace a professional inspection, a site-specific fire-risk assessment, manufacturer instructions, municipal requirements or advice applicable to your particular premises.

Why fire-extinguisher condition matters

Providing an extinguisher is only part of the responsibility.

The extinguisher must also be:

· Suitable for the risks present

· Correctly positioned

· Clearly identifiable

· Accessible without delay

· Protected from avoidable damage

· Maintained in a serviceable condition

· Supported by appropriate records

An extinguisher hidden behind stock, moved away from its designated point or damaged by workshop activity may not be available when it is needed.

The correct number, type and location of extinguishers cannot be determined from a general online checklist. These decisions depend on matters such as the building’s use, layout, occupancy, fire risks, local-authority requirements and any approved fire-safety design.

The 2025 General Safety Regulations specifically require an adequate supply of suitable fire-fighting equipment at strategic locations, or as recommended by the relevant local fire chief, with the equipment maintained in good working order.

A visual check is not the same as professional servicing

It helps to use the right language.

A routine check performed by a business owner or appointed staff member is best understood as a visual site-control check. It is a quick, external observation intended to identify obvious concerns.

SANS 10105-1:2021 covers the selection, installation, inspection and use of portable and mobile fire extinguishers. Industry guidance from the Fire Fighting Equipment Traders Association describes site control as a monthly visual check by a responsible person to confirm that an extinguisher appears usable, has not been tampered with and has not passed its maintenance due date.

A site-control check should not involve opening, dismantling, discharging, weighing, pressure-testing, refilling or repairing the extinguisher.

South Africa’s Pressure Equipment Regulations state that filling, recharging, reconditioning, repairing, inspecting or testing an extinguisher may only be performed by an authorised person employed by a permit holder.

Walker Bay Fire Engineering

Protecting your property with fire safety compliance.

walkerbayfire@gmail.com

+27 81 599 8234

© 2025–2026 Walker Bay Fire Engineering. All rights reserved.

Juandre Viviers

Joubert Siebrits

+27 73 477 9660

joubert.walkerbayfire@gmail.com

CONTACT:

(CEO)

(District Manager)

Hermanus

Bredasdorp