Fire Extinguisher UV Cover Large

How to Protect the life of your fire extinguisher with this UV cover.

Fire extinguishers not only need to be within easy access. The also need to be properly and safely stored to keep them in proper working order.

Here are three best practices for storing fire extinguishers:

Place fire extinguishers in the right locations

Fire extinguisher location is critical to ensuring that an extinguisher is always easily accessible in the event of a fire. The location and distance requirements for fire extinguishers are based on the size of the area, the type of fire extinguishers, and the locations of potential hazards.

Keep these best practices in mind:

• Know the right type of fire extinguisher for different areas of your workplace, depending on the hazards (ordinary combustible materials, flammables, electrical equipment, etc.)
• Check the maximum travel distance required by code. This refers to the farthest a person should need to travel before reaching an extinguisher, and it differs depending on the class of extinguishers and the hazard type.
• Pay careful attention to areas of higher fire risk like IT server rooms and oil fryers.

Store extinguishers in the proper position and temperature

Most places shouldn’t have an issue keeping their extinguishers within that temperature range, but in extreme cases, it could happen! Fire extinguishers stored at too low a temperature could acquire a cracked valve or hose, so avoid allowing your extinguishers to freeze.

Many people wonder whether extinguishers can be stored on their sides. While modern extinguishers can be stored horizontally (the contents are under pressure and the angle of storage will not cause the system to leak), proper fire extinguisher storage includes using the appropriate mounting brackets to keep the extinguisher within easy access. Horizontal storage typically isn’t optimal for employee access in an emergency, so it’s not recommended.

Maintain accessibility and visibility of extinguishers

If fire extinguishers aren’t readily available, they won’t be used. One of the most important aspects of storing fire extinguishers is making sure they are accessible and clearly visible. Keep the following in mind:

• Always keep areas in front of fire extinguishers clean and clear of obstructions.
• Mount fire extinguishers in such a way that they can’t be removed or damaged.
• Install a sign or other means of identification above a portable fire extinguisher.
• Protect fire extinguishers with a removable cover