Small Entrepreneurs: Have You Inspected Your Fire Extinguishers Lately?

Business Blog

If you're a small entrepreneur, you may take many risks to establish your business in the community and abroad. But there are certain risks you don't want to take with your business, clients, or employees, including maintaining your fire extinguishers. Learn why it's important to maintain your fire extinguishers below.

Are Your Fire Extinguishers in Good Condition?

Every business owner should keep a list of fire safety protocols, or fire prevention plans, in their building. Your fire prevention plan allows you to circumvent or prevent emergencies before they happen. Your fire prevention plan should also include a list of equipment that fight fires at the source, including fire extinguishers. 

Although fire extinguishers may seem insignificant compared to advanced fire safety equipment, the safety devices can be very effective weapons against fires when used properly. However, fire extinguishers can lose their effectiveness if they're rusted, broken, or mishandled. Your fire extinguishers can leak if they're in poor condition. 

Extinguishers can also be ineffective if you don't keep the devices charged, or filled, properly. The needles on your fire extinguishers' pressure gauges should be in the "green" zone. If the needles aren't in the green zone, they may not be fully charged. If your fire extinguishers aren't in good condition or have other issues not mentioned, inspect the devices immediately.

How Do You Inspect Your Fire Extinguishers?

You can inspect each fire extinguisher yourself. But unless you know exactly how to perform the inspection, you may not catch everything wrong with your extinguishers. The best way to ensure each fire extinguisher meets the proper standards is to have a professional do the inspection.

A professional will check to see if each fire extinguisher contains the correct pressure and material inside it. If your extinguishers are empty, a contractor will charge them. A contractor can also clean your extinguishers if they contain chemicals on their containers. Chemicals may cause some health problems if you touch them. 

A professional may also:

  • check the hoses and nozzles of your extinguishers for tears, cracks, and corrosion
  • replace or update missing or improperly labeled tags on the extinguishers
  • repair damaged or broken hardware on the extinguishers

If a contractor needs to do so, they may upgrade or recommend you upgrade your fire extinguishers. Your current fire extinguishers may not be up to standard for your place of business.

If you're ready for a fire extinguisher inspection, contact a service or contractor today.

Share  

19 March 2020

Understanding Proper Business Practices

There are a lot of different ways that a company can fail, but many of them are preventable. From scaling too early to hiring the wrong people, learning how to create a great business is instrumental to your longterm success. Fortunately, by learning from professionals who have a strong handle on proper business practices, you can prevent problems from destroying your company. Check out these blogs to find out more about business and what you can do to tip the scales in your favor. After all, the right information really could make a big difference for you and your family.