Have You Checked Your Fire Safety Equipment Lately?

Fire is no doubt one of the worst dangers when it comes to Australian households and businesses, especially those that are more rural. Hot summer conditions can make for a virtual oven that any spark will catch fire in, which is why there are many safety precautions in place to combat this in the commercial world. Fire equipment is mandatory, and so are fire safety designs such as fire safety doors and the presence of emergency exits and so on. But, simply owning fire equipment is not enough — if your fire equipment is out of date you could be in for a rude surprise.

Fire Equipment Maintenance

Everything has a used by date and that includes your fire safety equipment. From fire blankets to hydrants and extinguishers, all your fire safety equipment must be properly cared for and checked by licensed professionals at regular intervals. If this maintenance is not done, then not only could you be in for a big fine if government regulators find out, but when you most need it, your fire safety equipment could fail on you. Don't let laziness or forgetfulness lead to a dangerous situation; figure out what fire equipment you have and when it needs to have scheduled maintenance.

How Often Is It Necessary?

Fire equipment maintenance depends on what type of equipment you have. For some pieces of fire safety equipment, a half-yearly scheduled inspection is the recommended minimum, but for active hydrants, this increases to every month. That is because the connection in those hydrants is most likely to be affected by age and deterioration, but those pieces of equipment are uncommon in most businesses. Most pieces of fire equipment will even say how often they need to be maintained, and you should keep a logbook if one is not already provided for you. 

Who Can Inspect My Equipment?

Only licensed inspectors that declare themselves as such can provide scheduled fire equipment maintenance and inspections. While there are companies that can do repairs and maintenance for you if you need it between the required dates, if they are not licensed operators, then this will not count towards your scheduled maintenance. At the end of the inspection, you will likely get a signed copy of what was inspected, how the equipment performed and when it will need to be serviced again. Make sure to keep every document you get so you can prove that maintenance has occurred regularly since you took ownership.