# Office Fire Extinguisher Rules (Scam or not?)



## Dubai_Dan (Jun 3, 2011)

Hey fellow expats,

Since I've moved into a new office, we get fire extinguisher sales people coming in every now and again to "refill" our extinguishers for a 6 month period. Is there a law saying that this has to happen, as it seems utter nonsense? They're pretty aggressive and usually dressed in local attire. Is this a common scam or are we abiding by the rules?

Thanks!


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## brinks (Jun 12, 2014)

I don't believe it's a refill. However it needs to be checked and re-certified every 6 months


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## LesFroggitts (Dec 30, 2013)

I would have expected the re-certification requirements would be part of the 'contract' your office has with the supplier - that is unless you bought the extinguishers outright, in which case it may well be your responsibility to ensure that they are certified and of course that would require an authorised certification agent (at a fairly hefty price compared with what they actually do).


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## BedouGirl (Sep 15, 2011)

LesFroggitts said:


> I would have expected the re-certification requirements would be part of the 'contract' your office has with the supplier - that is unless you bought the extinguishers outright, in which case it may well be your responsibility to ensure that they are certified and of course that would require an authorised certification agent (at a fairly hefty price compared with what they actually do).


Some fire fighting equipment will belong to the building and it's the building management's responsibility to maintain them. Those that belong to your company have to be maintained accordingly. Each extinguisher or hose will have a record attached to it that is completed by the company conducting the check. This is where you will find the date when the next service is due. If there is a Civil Defense inspection, out of date records could be an issue and result in a fine. Whether or not it's necessary to conduct the services as often as they are, who knows?


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## Dubai_Dan (Jun 3, 2011)

Cheers guys! Looks like it's all legit  Appreciated!


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## fyrguru (Jul 21, 2014)

Fire extinguishers don't need to be "re-filled"
Every year. They simply require a yearly maintenance inspection and checking of the powder to make sure caking hasn't taken place. A monthly check of the pressure gauge is good. I wouldn't worry, most of the local made fire extinguishers do not comply with applicable codes like NFPA 10, UL, FM, LPCB, or other recognized standards and codes. In the event of a fire, leave... FYI- I've been a fire fighter and Fire Engineer for 27 years. ARCFireEngineering.com. Good luck!


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