Phoenix Fire & Systems
Commercial portable fire extinguishers need a visual inspection about every 30 days, which the owner does, and maintenance once a year by a person certified to do that work. The monthly inspection does not replace the annual maintenance.
Inspection is a quick check that the extinguisher is present, easy to reach, and not obviously damaged. Maintenance is a thorough exam of the mechanical parts, the extinguishing agent, the expelling means, and the physical condition, done to the manufacturer's service manual. Those are different jobs.
Do the first inspection when the extinguisher is installed, then at least every 30 days. Do it more often where units sit in harsh conditions or get tampered with. A knowledgeable person on the building staff can do the monthly inspection. It does not take a technician.
On each portable fire extinguisher, confirm:
- It is in its designated place, visible or marked with a sign, and easy to reach.
- The pressure gauge, if it has one, is in the operable range.
- It is full. Lift it, or weigh it, as that type calls for.
- The pin and seal are intact, there is no obvious damage, and the nozzle is not blocked.
- On a wheeled unit, the tires, carriage, hose, and nozzle are in sound condition.
- On a non-rechargeable unit with a push-to-test indicator, the indicator shows the unit is operable.
Record the month, the year, and who inspected. Keep that record at least 12 months, on a tag or label or in a paper or electronic file.
If something is blocking the extinguisher, clear the blockage the same day. A bad gauge, a broken seal, a used unit, or damage goes to a technician for recharge or repair. Do not leave a failed monthly check for the next annual visit.
Annual maintenance is an external examination at least once a year. It is also due when a hydrostatic test is performed, or when a monthly inspection finds a problem a visual check cannot close. A person certified to do that work, and familiar with NFPA 10, does it. The visit does not mean every cylinder is opened. Internal exams follow their own interval.
The tag or label for finished annual maintenance shows the month and year, the person who did the work, and the name of the agency.
Stored-pressure dry chemical extinguishers commonly need an internal examination at 6 years. Hydrostatic testing is due at 5 years or at 12 years, depending on the type. It is not an annual test. Non-rechargeable extinguishers are not hydrostatically tested. The technician should track which unit is due next, not only hang a yearly tag.
Ohio and NFPA 10
Ohio follows NFPA 10 (2022), Standard for Portable Fire Extinguishers, for selection, inspection, maintenance, and recharging of portable fire extinguishers. The 2025 Ohio Fire Code took effect November 20, 2025. Table 901.6.1 in that code lists portable fire extinguishers under NFPA 10 for inspection, testing, and maintenance. The owner is responsible for having that work done. Monthly checks do not require a certified person. Annual maintenance and recharging do. The Ohio Fire Code is the statewide minimum. A city or township that adopts its own fire rules can add requirements that meet or exceed it. Section 906 is about where many commercial occupancies have to provide extinguishers. That is placement, not this schedule.
What the owner does
Walk the extinguishers this month. Clear blocked access, and report a missing unit the same day. Note a bad gauge, a broken seal, a discharged unit, or damage, and have a technician do the recharge or repair. Keep 12 months of monthly records where the fire code official or the insurer can see them. Read the date on the annual tag and schedule maintenance before it lapses.
Building staff do the monthly visual. A person certified to do that work does annual maintenance, recharge, and repair. In a fire, call 911.
Phoenix Fire & Systems does the annual maintenance and recharge. Call (937) 637-7768, or see fire extinguisher service and request a quote.
