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Exemptions:
- You are exempt from the requirements of
portable fire extinguishers if you have the following:
- - A written fire safety policy that
requires the immediate and total evacuation of employees
from the workplace when there is a fire alarm signal
- AND
- - An emergency action plan and a fire
prevention plan which meet the requirements of
WAC 296-24-567
- AND
- - Portable fire extinguishers in your
workplace that are not accessible for employee use.
- If another WISHA rule requires portable
fire extinguishers, then you must comply with these requirements.
- Where extinguishers are provided but are
not intended for employee use and you have an emergency action
plan and a fire prevention plan (which meet the requirements
of
WAC 296-24-567), then only the requirements of WAC
296-800-30020 apply.
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Provide portable fire extinguishers in your workplace
You must:(1) Provide
approved portable fire extinguishers for your workplace and
distribute them so they are readily accessible.
- Make sure that your portable fire extinguisher does
not use extinguishing agents such as carbon tetrachloride or chlorobromomethane
extinguishing agents. In addition, soda-acid foam, loaded stream, anti-freeze
and water extinguishers of the inverting type shall not be recharged
or placed into service.
(2) Mount, locate,
and identify portable fire extinguishers so employees can easily reach
them, without being subjected to possible injury.
Select and distribute portable fire extinguishers
in your workplace
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Exemption:
- This does not apply to the portable
fire extinguishers provided for employees to use outside of
workplace buildings or structures.
- You are exempt from the
distribution requirements of this rule if you have an emergency
action plan (that meets requirements of
WAC 296-24-567):
- - Which designates certain employees to
be the only employees authorized to use the available portable
fire extinguishers
- AND
- - Requires all other employees in the
fire area to immediately evacuate the affected work area
upon the sounding of the fire alarm.
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You must:
- Provide the correct type of
portable fire extinguishers and distribute them in your workplace, depending
on the type, size, and severity of fire that could occur.
- - The type of portable fire extinguishers you
must have in your workplace depends on the types of
fire hazards
that exist in your workplace.
Make sure that portable fire extinguishers are kept
fully charged, in operable condition, and left in their designated places
You must:
- Make sure that fire extinguishers found with deficiencies
are removed from service and replaced with a suitable fire extinguisher.
Inspect and test all portable fire extinguishers
You must:
- Perform inspections:
- - Make sure that portable fire extinguishers or
hose systems (used instead of fire extinguishers) are visually inspected
monthly.
- Perform maintenance checks:
- - Make sure that all portable fire extinguishers
are subjected to an annual maintenance check.
- - Keep
records of all annual maintenance checks and make available
to the
department upon request.
- For 1 year after the last maintenance check
- OR
- For the life of the shell, whichever is less.
- - Make sure that equal protection is provided
when portable fire extinguishers are removed from service for maintenance
and recharging.
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Exemption:
Most stored pressure extinguishers do not
require an internal examination. Examples of those that do require
an internal examination are those containing a loaded stream
agent. |
- Perform hydrostatic testing:
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Exemption:
- Dry
chemical extinguishers that have nonrefillable disposable
containers are exempt from this requirement.
- Manually pressurized pumptanks are exempt from
this requirement.
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- Make sure that portable
extinguishers are hydrostatically tested
- At the intervals listed in Table 1, of this section.
- - Whenever they show evidence of corrosion or
mechanical injury.
- Not perform hydrostatic testing on fire extinguishers
if:
- - The unit has been repaired by soldering, welding,
brazing, or use of patching compounds.
- - The cylinder or shell threads are damaged.
- - Corrosion has caused pitting, including corrosion
under removable name plate assemblies.
- - The extinguisher has been burned in a fire.
- - Calcium chloride extinguishing agents have been
used in a stainless steel shell.
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Note:
Specific rules regarding conducting hydrostatic
tests are covered in
WAC 296-24-59212. |
- Maintain records showing that hydrostatic
testing has been performed. Provide the following evidence to the department
upon request:
- - Date of test.
- - Test pressure used.
- - The serial number, or other identifier of the
fire extinguisher that was tested.
- -
Person or agency performing the test.
- Keep records until:
- - The extinguisher is retested
- OR
- - The extinguisher is taken out of service, whichever
comes first.
- Empty and maintain stored-pressure
dry chemical extinguishers requiring a
12-year hydrostatic test, every 6 years.
- - When recharging or hydrostatic testing is performed,
the
6-year requirement begins from that date.
Hydrostatic Test Table
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Note:
Due to a manufacturer's recall, stored pressure
water extinguishers with a fiberglass shell (pre-1976) are prohibited
from hydrostatic testing. |
Train your employees to use portable fire extinguishers
You must:
- Train your employees where you have
provided portable fire extinguishers for their use in:
- - The
hazards involved with incipient stage fire fighting (the
early stage of a fire when it can be extinguished by a portable
fire extinguisher).
- - The general principles of fire extinguisher
use.
- Provide the training when they are first hired and
then annually.
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Helpful Tool:
Training Documentation
Form
This sample Training Documentation Form can
help you demonstrate in writing that each employee who needs
training has received and understood it. You can find a copy
of this sample form in the Resource Section of this book. |
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