Safety Knights

In my previous experience the monthly inspection was done by the in-house team then the yearly inspection was done by a third party service.

As Derek mentioned, both OSHA and NFPA 10 allow for the monthly inspections to be conducted by in-house personnel as long as they are trained on what to look for and how to inspect (reference NFPA 10 for this information).

The annual inspections/maintenance checks must be done by a certified portable fire extinguisher technician, which is issued through the ICC.

NFPA 10 also requires monthly inspections to be documented, whereas OSHA doesn't.

At my site we, the HSE team take care of the monthly inspections and we have a data base for the annual inspection that my fire extinguisher company will come on site and do the annual inspection. They will also come on site and do refills as needed. But we all know that fire extinguishers are the second most abused pieces of equipment on site. 😎

As our company's safety coordinator, I inspect 160+ portable fire extinguishers, both wall mounted and forklift mounted each month then date and initial the inspection tag mounted to the unit. Annually, we have a fire protection company come in and perform the annual inspection, placing new tags on the extinguishers as per NFPA 10, a full maintenance check needs to be performed every 12 months by a certified fire extinguisher inspector. Unlike the monthly fire extinguisher inspections, the annual inspections must be administered by a licensed fire protection company.

The following are related references for Fire Ex. inspection:

NFPA 10

Section 4.1.3 of NFPA 10 states that "monthly inspections shall be performed by the owner or designated representative."

Section 4.1.4 of NFPA 10 defines a "competent person" as someone who has the necessary knowledge, training, and skills to perform the inspection.

OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) Standard 1910.157:

Paragraph (e) of OSHA Standard 1910.157 states that "Portable fire extinguishers provided for employee use shall be inspected monthly."

Paragraph (f) of OSHA Standard 1910.157 states that "The employer shall maintain portable fire extinguishers and their storage areas in a condition that will enable them to function as intended."

Paragraph (e)(2) states that "Portable fire extinguishers provided for employee use shall be visually inspected monthly."

OSHA standard for construction, 1926 Subpart L, also includes requirements for fire extinguishers. Here are a few specific references from that standard:

Section 1926.150(c) requires that "Portable fire extinguishers shall be provided for employee use in accordance with the applicable provisions of 29 CFR 1910.157."

Section 1926.150(c)(1) requires that "Portable fire extinguishers shall be located in conspicuous places where they will be readily accessible in case of fire."

Section 1926.150(c)(2) states that "Portable fire extinguishers shall be placed, mounted, and identified in accordance with the applicable provisions of 29 CFR 1910.157."

These references show that the OSHA standard for construction, 1926 Subpart L, incorporates the requirements for fire extinguishers set forth in the OSHA standard for general industry, 1910.157. As such, it's important to consult both standards to ensure that you are in compliance with all applicable requirements.

Just sharing for comparison of legal references. Btw, can you share what is ICC Certified Portable Fire Extinguisher Technician legal reference in FE insp?