All fire extinguishers, regardless of their age and type, must
be independently verified to a high standard of manufacturing
quality and performance. They must all be marked with one or more
of these certifying marks:
- the BSI Kitemark
- the British Approvals of Fire Equipment (BAFE) symbol
- the Société Générale de Surveillance (SGS) symbol
- the AFNOR 'NF' shield
- the Loss Prevention Certification Board (LPCB)
- the APRAGAZ certification mark only when accompanied by the
underlying 'B' denoting the BELAC accreditation
- or other accredited certifying body's mark to EN3
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When an examiner
checks the condition of fire fighting equipment on board, here are
some examples of what he's looking for which you can check on a
regular basis. Fire extinguishers must be replaced if they have
missing pins, dents, perished hoses, incorrect pressure or damage
to the trigger assembly. [6.1] |
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Fire ratings are
marked on modern portable fire extinguishers, for example 5A/34B.
The fire rating is the measure of the ability of a fire
extinguisher to fight a fire of a certain size. The bigger the
number in the fire rating the bigger the fire on which the
extinguisher has been tested. The letter in the fire rating
indicates the class of fire on which the extinguisher has been
tested. The "A" rating relates to fires involving paper, wood,
textiles or fabric and the "B" class fires are fuelled by flammable
liquids. |
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Whilst in a lock an
outboard engine malfunctioned and burning petrol was thrown out,
over and around the rear deck area and the surrounding water. The
boat owner tried both portable fire extinguishers from the boat,
however neither of them worked properly and the fire continued to
burn. The owner of another boat in the lock used one of his
extinguishers and the fire was put out. On inspection it was
discovered that the two extinguishers originally used failed to
work because they were not certified and had passed their expiry
date. [6.1] |
