According to § 3 para. 2 and 3 of the Regulation of the Minister of the Interior and Administration of 7 June 2010 on the fire protection of buildings, other building structures and areas (Journal of Laws No. 109, item 719), fire equipment and fire extinguishers should be subjected to technical inspections and appropriate maintenance activities in accordance with with the principles set out in legal standards in force in Poland regarding fire protection devices and fire extinguishers. Such inspections should be carried out in strictly defined periods of time and in a manner consistent with the instructions provided by the manufacturer. The period after which the next inspection should be carried out is usually a year. The obligatory inspections are subject to portable fire extinguishing devices, which are installed in cars, are used in houses and flats as well as all fire-fighting equipment. used on company premises. Therefore, they are: portable and mobile fire extinguishers, fixed and semi-solid fire extinguishing installations, devices and elements included in fire warning signaling systems and sound warning systems enabling warning against fire hazard. Smoke extraction and smoke prevention devices as well as fire doors and gates as well as devices controlling them should also be regularly reviewed. Internal hydrants and related system components are also subject to control.
Requirements for regular checking of fire-fighting equipment
One of the elements of fire fighting equipment there are smoke removal systems, they should also be regularly checked to prevent them from malfunctioning. The type of smoke removal system used depends on the architecture and specificity of the building. The most commonly used smoke exhaust systems operate on the basis of gravity, which are additionally connected with fire alarm systems, they are mounted mainly in the area of communication routes, i.e. staircases and elevator shafts. The gravitational smoke exhaust system includes the following elements: smoke vents, smoke exhaust and aeration windows equipped with electric drives, fire detectors and manual smoke exhaust buttons. Additionally, such systems can be supplemented with acoustic or optical-acoustic signaling devices. The proper operation of such equipment can repeatedly save the life and health of the inhabitants of a given house or block. Therefore, regular maintenance of these devices is important. It is best to do such work, outsource to professional entities or producers.
Fire extinguisher maintenance
Fire extinguishers are the most popular and most frequently bought fire fighting equipment. They are widely used and are used in both companies and single-family homes. There are many companies on the market that produce fire extinguishers in many types and sizes, which are primarily adapted to the requirements of the entity. Although the regulations allow for maintenance and inspections of fire extinguishers once a year, practice shows that most manufacturers of fire protection equipment used in Poland. instructs them to undergo maintenance checks at least once every six months. In most types of extinguishers it is also a rule that once every 5 years the extinguishing agent contained in them must be replaced. Proper and regular maintenance of fire extinguishers ensures their longer operation and reliability in situations where their use will be necessary. That is why it is worth carefully monitoring the deadlines for carrying out fire safety equipment inspections.
What else is subject to mandatory reviews?
Fire extinguishers are not the only fire fighting equipment that we are obliged to constantly monitor. It is worth knowing exactly the specifications of specific fire extinguishing devices and the manufacturer’s recommendations for mandatory inspections. The legislator imposes some of the mandatory checks on us. He obliges us to control devices such as:
– portable and transportable fire extinguishers,
– fixed and semi-permanent fire-fighting installations,
– devices and components included in fire alarm systems and audible warning systems enabling warning signals and voice messages to be broadcast for safety purposes,
– evacuation lighting installations and components,
– smoke exhaust or smoke prevention devices,
– fire doors and devices controlling them,
– internal hydrants and related system components.
Regardless of applicable regulations, carrying out regular inspections of fire-fighting equipment should be a natural reflex and a sign of common sense. Properly operating smoke exhaust and fire warning systems can save our lives. The situation is similar when it comes to the efficiency of fire extinguishers. You do not want to see that during the fire it turns out that your fire fighting equipment. it is not functional and cannot extinguish a house fire for you. That is why a top-down provision has been imposed stating the need for inspections and maintenance of fire extinguishers.