The practices and methods described in this article are those used day to day in running of the author’s fire extinguisher business.

BS5306 part 3:2009 is the ‘code of practice’ for the commissioning and maintenance of portable fire extinguishers - the title has changed to reflect the introduction of the ‘commissioning’ service.

The updated Code has taken its time in coming but now in August 2009 it has at last arrived and we now have to interpret and apply the recommendations contained therein. My first impression was that it is a very well laid out document that is far easier to read and understand than its predecessor. So no excuses for not reading it!

So what exactly are the changes to the Code?
Most are quite significant others are more subtle. I have detailed below the changes I have spotted and explain how they are being interpreted and used by the fire trade.

The description of the customer’s responsible person has been specified in the Code as the person with effective control over fire provisions. It also states that the responsible person should record the results of visual inspections of fire equipment. It has now been made their responsibility to ensure that there is adequate extinguisher provision, whereas it was the duty of the service technician before to supply temporary cover if any were removed during servicing.

SERVICE INTERVALS

Commissioning
The addition of the ‘commissioning’ specified in clause 4.1 is probably the most emotive new addition to the Code adding more work for the technician which the service company may not necessarily recoup payment for. One major servicing provider is known to be adding the cost of this service to the cost of new extinguishers they supply.

Commissioning appears to have been introduced to try and thwart the threat to the fire trade from internet and catalogue sales. It must be undertaken by a ‘competent person’ and Annex B of the new Code breaks down the service actions starting with the removal of the new or reconditioned extinguisher from it’s original packaging up until it is positioned in it’s designated place. It is almost a full basic service so helping to justify your prices over those of the internet and catalogue suppliers.

I would recommend charging customers a fee for commissioning extinguishers that they have bought cheaply elsewhere. If used responsibly commissioning does help to justify to customers why buying an extinguisher from a bone fide servicing company with much higher operating costs has to charge more than one from a ‘box shifter’. For some ideas on how to guide your customers in the purchase of fire extinguishers visit www.firecontingency.co.uk/supply/exting_guide_buy.php.

Basic Service
In clause 6 the confusing tables in the old Code have been restructured making them much clearer and logical to follow. This has meant that a lot minor changes have been made to the text.

The Code now provides a tolerance of one month either side of the 12 month basic service interval. This might help close down those difficult customers who sometimes try to put servicing off! It also clarifies the situation that it is acceptable to pull servicing forward (has been used by some unscrupulous companies to make money!) or put it back by up to a month.

Extended Service
The prescribed discharge test and refill of gas cartridge and stored pressure water, foam, wet chemical and dry powder extinguishers remains unchanged in clause 6 at 5 years, now from the date of commissioning with the addition of “or 6 years from date of manufacture”. This applies to whichever comes first.

SERVICE PROCEDURES

Life of an Extinguisher
The FSH/2 Committee have again shied away from giving extinguishers a life expectancy and instead have given a statement that extinguishers manufactured to previous British Standards may still be serviced to the new Code so long as they can be returned to a serviceable condition. Soda acid, riveted and plastic bodied extinguishers and those requiring inversion are excluded.

Temporary Extinguishers
The ‘Temporary replacement of extinguishers’ clause (8.4.2) in the old Code has been removed, thereby taking away the requirement for the service technician to provide temporary extinguishers if cover is being reduced at site during servicing.

Clause 9.4.2 ‘Permanent replacement of extinguishers’ in the new Code remains unchanged, still clearly placing the responsibility of arranging appropriate extinguisher cover to meet the minimum recommended in BS5306 part 8 onto the Responsible Person. The service provider has the duty to advise the responsible person if as a result of servicing, cover has fallen below the minimum requirement – this is detailed in clauses 9.2.1, 9.3 and 9.4.1.1.

Gas cartridges
Clause 7.2 states that these should be replaced with the correct type and size (capacity and dimensions) and care should be taken to use an appropriate cartridge specified by the manufacturer. It goes on stating that cartridges should be removed from service 10 years from manufacture – after all it is no longer cost effective to hydraulically test them.

Plastic Components
This is the most significant change where in clause 9.2.2 it states that an extinguisher can be condemned where it has any UV degraded plastic components.

According to Annexe E plastic headcaps should be replaced with a new headcap during the extended service.

• With stored pressure extinguishers (excluding CO2 extinguishers) this will mean carrying out the discharge test, removing the headcap and replacing it with a new headcap.
• With gas cartridge extinguishers the headcap should be removed before discharge testing and destroyed. A new headcap will then need to be fitted and the discharge test then carried out.

This looks like it will mark the end of the veritable TG Series 2000 extinguisher as it is rarely cost effective to replace these old headcaps with new assemblies.

New Reasons for Condemning Extinguishers

• UV degradation of plastic pressure retaining parts
• Over painted or application of any other coating to plastic pressure retaining parts
• Extinguishers made after 2002 that do not bear a CE mark (excluding refurbished extinguishers)
• Operating instructions not written in English
  

DOCUMENTATION

Labelling
This new clause 6.2 better clarifies the use of labels applied by the service provider. The maintenance label and any other labels that applied to the extinguisher by the service provider cannot contain prominent colours conflicting with the extinguishing agent identification colours. In other words you cannot apply a bright yellow coloured maintenance label on a CO2 extinguisher – it could be confusing to the user.

• Any labelling must not obscure the BS EN3 markings or manufacturer’s markings.
• Where there is no more space on the maintenance label a new label should be applied carrying across onto it the date of commissioning and the last extended service or overhaul.
• The label must state that maintenance was conducted according to BS5306 part 3. It must also record the measured mass of the extinguisher at the time of servicing or the difference between the measured mass at the time of service and the mass recorded at commissioning.
• When an extinguisher is recharged this must be recorded on the label.
• The only time ‘Non-Maintained’ can be used on a label is when the service technician does not have parts available with them and he/she does not intend to return to site.
• The maintenance label as in the old Code must be readable without specialist equipment.

For reference the maintenance label should contain the following information:

1. type of work carried out (commissioning, basic service, extended service, recharge, overhaul, condemned, not maintained)
2. name and address of the service provider
3. identification of the service technician
4. date work carried out (month and year)
5. the measured mass of the extinguisher in kilogram’s or the difference between the measured mass and that initially recorded at commissioning
6. date (month and year) of commissioning and the last extended service/overhaul
7. confirmation that servicing has been carried out in accordance with BS5306 part 3

Written Report
I always felt that it was strange that the old Code gave no indication as to what the service paperwork should convey to the customer. This is now better covered by clause 9.4.1.1 where it states that a written report should advise the responsible person;

1. of any extinguishers that have been condemned, not maintained and/or are missing
2. of any replacement extinguishers required
3. of any additional extinguishers needed to meet the minimum requirements of BS5306 part 8
4. that any replacement or additional extinguishers are provided as soon as possible
5. that it is their obligation to provide an adequate provision of fire fighting equipment at all times

The clause does not specify the information needed in the Written Report and I recommend using the same structure as that prescribed for the Certificate of Inspection but printed as a multipart (NCR) document for the technician to complete by hand:

• Your company name, postal address, telephone number of the service provider
• Date of maintenance
• Identification of the service technician
• A detailed list of all the extinguishers serviced including non conforming equipment
• The signature of the customers responsible person and their position in the organisation – or a reason given why this was not obtained e.g. an unmanned site
• Confirmation that servicing has been carried out in accordance with BS5306 part 3

Over and above this information I suggest that you also include:

• Your Terms of business (printed on the reverse of each sheet)
• Retention of title clause i.e. ‘The property in the equipment supplied shall remain the property of the company until the purchaser has paid the full price thereof as well as any other payments due to the company’
• A list of all the parts, signs and equipment supplied and services provided.
• Number and type of extinguishers responsibly disposed of
• A reminder for the Technician to complete the customers Fire Log Book

Certificate of Inspection
Clause 9.4.1.2 states that a Certificate of Inspection should be issued “in all cases”. A printed Certificate of Inspection is usually provided by servicing providers (following receipt of payment!) and the clause states that the following information should be included:

1. Your company name, postal address, telephone number of the service provider
2. Date of maintenance
3. Identification of the service technician
4. A list of all the extinguishers serviced including non conforming equipment and recommendations for any corrective action required
5. The signature of the customer’s responsible person before leaving site – or a reason given why this was not obtained e.g. it is an unmanned site
6. Confirmation that servicing has been carried out in accordance with BS5306 part 3

A note in Clause 9.4.1 allows the Certificate of Inspection to be amalgamated with the Written Report. I do not recommend doing this as technicians may make mistakes and a hand written certificate does not look very professional, especially when hung in the customer’s reception for the world to see!

TECHNICIAN TRAINING

Examination Board
The current system of technicians being examined by three different boards BAFE, IFEDA & BFC is being overhauled and these will be amalgamated during 2009 into one which most likely will be run by BAFE. This does not restrict who provides the actual training but will mean that the examination will at last be consistent.
To be a ‘competent person’ Annex A puts more emphasis into “on the job” experience meaning that students need to acquire field skills working under supervision, as well as classroom learning. This will affect the facility management companies looking to train their general maintenance people in fire extinguisher maintenance.

The practical servicing part of the examination will now include a test to establish the trainee’s skill in fault finding.

Refresher Training
Continuity of technician competency remains in taking a three yearly refresher of one day duration concluding with a written examination. Alternatively this can now be through continuing professional development over a period with documented outlines and training material.

The UK Fire Association is offering affordable, scheduled / in-situ and fully updated 1 day refresher courses at locations around the UK starting in October. For more information and to book online visit www.uk-fa.org/courses.php.

Alan will also be running his fully revised scheduled technician courses examined by BAFE at venues around the country, for more details visit www.firecontingency.co.uk/training/technicians.php.

SUMMARY

All in all the new Code tidies up several loose ends and is better laid out making it much easier to read.

The commissioning service will be welcomed by some but loathed by others in the fire industry.

The merging of the three extinguisher technician’s examinations will ensure even standards and reflect the way exams are managed in further education. It will be interesting to know who will invigilate and monitor the examination provider!

Most responsible service technicians have been aware of the danger with UV degradation in plastic headcaps and taken appropriate action over last few years. We now have the long awaited for authority to protect our customers by what is otherwise a dubious sounding claim, especially as it usually requires replacement with a new extinguisher.

The other changes generally amount to a tidying up or clarification of the Code.

BS5306 part 3: 2009 is not law - it is a code of practice - so you cannot force your customer to accept its recommendations. However it is brave or very foolish technician (and/or customer) that goes against its guidance without very good reason!

Anyone professing to service fire extinguishers must have ready access to the new Code. It is also good practice to be carrying their extinguisher manufacturer’s service manuals and the COSHH data sheets relevant to the extinguishing agents they are handling.

The guidance in this document is not intended to replace the Code, it has been created to be read alongside it, to identify the significant changes and help their adoption during servicing routines.

For further information or to add your own comments, contact the author.

Alan Palmer
The UK Fire Association Secretary
and Extinguisher Technician Trainer