How often should fire extinguishers be inspected?

Fire extinguishers should be inspected on a monthly basis to ensure they are in proper working condition and ready for use in an emergency. Monthly inspections involve checking for visible signs of damage, ensuring that the pressure gauge is in the green zone, confirming that the extinguisher is easily accessible and not obstructed, and examining the inspection tags or labels for compliance.

Regular monthly inspections help prevent potential failures during a fire incident, which could have serious consequences. While annual maintenance is also required, it focuses on more in-depth checks performed by a qualified technician, but this does not replace the necessity of the more frequent monthly visual inspections.

Inspections every six months or once a year do not provide the same level of assurance regarding the extinguisher’s readiness. Additionally, only inspecting after use would mean that any issues present prior to the need for the extinguisher would go unnoticed, risking safety during an actual fire emergency. Thus, the monthly inspection frequency is critical for maintaining a proactive safety culture in any environment that requires fire extinguishers.