Posted By jackw. Hi, why don't you check the BS they are refering to?

Posted By Mark Talbot Discharges take place because of the nature of the equipment - unreliable. The cost of this discharge compared to the costs faced after a fire are insignificant. A non-functioning fire extinguisher can be very expensive in a fire situation, a working one used properly and swiftly can save thousands of pounds. British Standards are based on what is good for the users, not the suppliers. A little trust in them is a good thing.

Posted By Gareth Bryan The BS from memory does require that a certain percentage to be tested by discharge. the thing to do is to watch them whilst they do it to make sure that they don't just take them away and sell them on !

Posted By TBC The discharge test is a kind of 'pressure test' before the ten year full pressure test. Many companies take advantage of this by incorporating the extinguishers into a refresher training exercise for use by Fire Marshalls etc. It will give valuable hands on experience, but if your company is so tight for cash don't bother.

Posted By Barbaros Ertergral I am very impressed by the answers in this forum and have gained much new understanding of health and safety by reading here; but i am now also a little confused because of the last 3 on this thread. Please help me to understand what is being said here. Could someone please explain how discharging a fire extinguisher could be considered as a test and what will it test? Also, it appears that there is a contradiction about the extinguisher standard - is it legal or simply a standard? Barbaros

Posted By TBC The discharge test will check the bits/workings of the extinguisher. The valves, trigger, deposit tubes etc ensuring that no blockages are present and that in the case of dry powder - no caking has occurred. It is also testing to a working pressure when activated which shows that the structure is still sound. The ten year pressure test is pass or fail. Fail will show leaks or blow it up. Pass it can be safely recharged for a further period.

Posted By ian milne This is possibly a detailed response for others to build on. From memory, BS 5306 Parts 1, 2, 3 to infinity etc was the manufacturing and service standard and was always the standard that everyone used as best practice. While I do accept that british standards are just guidance, they follow the same course as most health & safety law i.e. SOFARP, and where there is no other better alternative to follow, this is the best practice. This stnadrd is accepted by all manufacturers, suppliers, insurers and H&SE. When (BS) EN 3 was first released during 1992, it was initially believed that this would replace BS5306 but it never happened. Therefore BS 5306 (I think it was part 3 for extinguisher servicing, but you can look into it). Now, discharge tests; from memory and all can correct me here, there are usually two types of extinguisher design types (stored pressure where the cylinder is always pressurised and has a gauge on the front and cartridge operated where a CO2 or NO2 cylinder releases pressure into the body of the extinguisher). When an extinguisher is used, this places the extinguisher and components under pressure therefore can be an interim pressure test (but beware that if your extinguisher has rust or faults these can explode in front of you). The 5 yearly pressure test is often only on the body only and a test date is stamped onto the extinguisher body head, is is recommended. As always, you have to try and trust that the people servicing your equipment are not ripping you off. Get a quote from them to do this tets and get a couple of quotes from difefrent suppliers for a new extinguisher and compare carefully. Trust this helps (or adds more for thinking). Ian

Posted By Al.. BS5306-3:2003 (Code of practice for the inspection and maintenance of portable fire extinguishers) states that water, foam and powder extinguishers should be discharged every five years; the body should be examined internally for corrosion, dents, cuts, gouges or lining damage; examination should be undertaken of all closures for thread wear, damage and corrosion as applicable and the extinguisher, if in good condition , should then be returned to operational condition. As a code of practice, the British Standard takes the form of guidance and recommendations and it is not a specification. However it represents good practice and I suggest that it would be very difficult indeed to find grounds for ignoring it. If you do not allow your service company to undertake the discharge test and injury were to result while someone were operating the extinguisher (for example, if the extinguisher exploded as a result of internal corrosion), your company and the service company could be liable to enforcement action.

Posted By TBC Chubb don't give freebies - you'll pay one way or another.