- Action: To Do List item A0020 – Obtain Fire Extinguisher Inspection Tags.
- Completed: 16 May 2017
- Cost: $15.19
Fire Extinguisher Inspection Tags? You've got to be joking, these are needed on a boat? No, they are not "needed", the requirement to inspect fire extinguishers monthly and maintain a "record" of that inspection is "required" by law or regulation.
Portable extinguishers must be inspected and maintained in accordance with NFPA 10, Standard for Portable Fire Extinguishers. [46CFR 25.30-10.a].
NFPA 10, Standard for Portable Fire Extinguishers Requirements: Fire extinguishers shall be manually inspected when initially placed in service. [NFPA 10 7.2.1.1] Fire extinguishers shall be inspected at least once per calendar month. [NFPA 10 7.2.1.2.1] Manual Inspection Records - kept on a tag or label attached to the fire extinguisher, month and year the manual inspection was performed and the initials of the person performing the inspection shall be recorded, shall keep records of all fire extinguishers inspected, and records shall be kept to demonstrate that at least the last 12 monthly inspections have been performed. [NFPA 10 7.2.4.1] Nonrechargeable fire extinguishers shall not be required to have a 6-year internal examination and shall not be hydrostatically tested but shall be removed from service at a maximum interval of 12 years from the date of manufacture. [NFPA 10 7.3.6.3]
The requirement for fire extinguisher inspection tags was discovered by actually reading the CFR regulations. This "trivial" requirement was not found in USCG safety brochures or pamphlets. It was not found after reviewing many published articles/books or websites of long-time "experienced" cruisers - their posted pictures often revealed a mounted fire extinguisher in the background of a picture, but not once was a inspection tag visible on any picture of a fire extinguisher examined. In many cases, examining in detail pictures of "experienced" cruisers containing a fire extinguisher, discovered the fire extinguisher actually was "unserviceable" as its displayed date of manufacture was well beyond the maximum interval of 12 years of service life. This situation emphasizes the practice of actually reading the CFR regulations yourself, instead of relying upon generalized safety brochures or pamphlets, the information found in a published books or media, or the "experienced" advice of long-time cruisers. Do yourself a big favor, don't assume someone's written story, experience, opinion, or advice is correct, research and verify it yourself in the up-to-date CFR regulations.
On 23 February 2017 ordered a 25 pack of Fire Extinguisher Recharge And Inspection tags, size 6 inch by 3 inch, made of robust synthetic paper from Amazon for a cost of $15.19. These were shipped to our balikbayan box consolidator and forwarder Manila Forwarder in Los Angles, California and received there on 1 March 2017. We received them in Naga City, Cebu on 16 May 2017.
These tags were attached to each fire extinguisher using on-hand plastic tie straps.
