All fire extinguishers are subject to periodic testing by a “Recognized company for Fire Extinguisher’s Control, Refilling & Maintenance”, according to KYA618/43/05 (FEK B'52) and ΚΥΑ17230/671/05 (FEK B'1218) in order to determine their viability or in order to recondition them to operating mode.
“A Recognized company for Fire Extinguisher’s Control, Refilling & Maintenance” is a company that has been approved by an accredited inspection body, is responsible for the maintenance and / or further maintenance of fire extinguishers and has approved operating procedures.
Responsible Person: The technical manager of a “Recognized company” who has the required training and access to relevant tools and equipment and is able to conduct periodic test procedures and maintenance of fire extinguishers.
Our company is a “Recognized company for Fire Extinguisher’s control, Refilling & Maintenance”, is licensed by the appropriate department of the Prefecture (now Region) and supervised by the Notified Body Bureau Veritas. The Responsible Person is a qualified engineer. As one of the first companies in the construction and maintenance of fire extinguishers in Greece, it has many years of experience dating back to the '50s. This experience has been incorporated into our procedures and is reflected actively in the level of our services. In addition, hydraulic testing and re-testing of fire extinguishers is carried out within our company with the same high quality standards, at our “Recognized company for Fire Extinguisher’s control, Refilling & Maintenance”.
During the audit, and in order not to reduce the fire safety measures of your establishment, our company can supply you with alternate fire extinguishers.
The following table presents the maximum maintenance intervals for fire extinguishers:
Fire extinguisher type |
Maintenance |
Further Maintenance & Refilling |
Hydrostatic test & Refilling |
Foam, water, wet chemical | 1 year | 5 & 15 years | 10 years |
Dry Powder | 1 year | 5 & 15 years | 10 years |
Dry Powder (sealed type) | 1 year | 5 & 15 years | 10 years |
Halon, clean agents | 1 year | - | 10 years |
CO2 | 1 year | - | 10 years |
The intervals start from the day of installation of the fire extinguisher and no later than one year from the date of manufacture, which is marked on the body of the extinguisher.
Every time a fire extinguisher is opened for maintenance, a colored control ring (the color depends on the year), is placed on the base of the valve of the extinguisher. Moreover, our company places a mark on the tornado tube whenever an extinguisher is opened.
The owner or his representative must conduct regular checks of all fire extinguishers, to ensure that each extinguisher:
- is located in a designated place
- can been seen and operating instructions are facing outward
- has no obvious signs of impairment/damage
The frequency of checks should not be less than 3 months and preferably should be monthly. The owners have the obligation to ensure that fire extinguishers are checked and maintained.
The “Responsible person” has the obligation to advise the owner about the time that a fire extinguisher should be withdrawn. The operational life of a fire extinguisher varies considerably due to various factors such as environmental impact, harsh treatment, etc. The operational life of a fire extinguisher, except carbon dioxide portable fire extinguishers and propellant gas cylinders, will not exceed 20 years.