Registration of Fire Extinguishers

[carolyn]

We have been told by our villa management that there is now a requirement to have 3 x 2kg fire extinguishers in our (4 bed ) villa, and that they must be registered with a serial number, and recharged each year (we do this anyway with the 1 that we have currently in the kitchen). We have not seen mention of this on the forum and I could see no reference to it on any other similar forum /web site. Is any one else aware of this requirement or where it might have come from?
Thanks
Carolyn

[LICY]

Not heard if this.

[pato]

Is any one else aware of this requirement or where it might have come from?
Thanks
Carolyn

The EU possibly! get on to Nigel.

[chaucer]

Yes we had to change our extinguishers last year as the old ones didn't have the serial number. They have always had to be charged every year

[carolyn]

We have no problem with having our one existing extinguisher re- charged each year and registered - it is more the requirement for 3 of them in a 4 bed villa that we rent out. One in the kitchen is OK but to have a fire extinguisher in a bedroom is not particularly attractive, and we believe unnecessary.
Any more comments appreciated.
Thanks
Carolyn

[e-richard]

I would get back to your Villa Management company and ask for the source of their "information" and the conditions under which its needed.

I suspect it comes from the fire extinguisher manufacturers

[HampshireRich]

The only actual regulation is that you must have enough extinguishers for your property as prescribed by your Risk Assessment that should have been undertaken at some time.

Normally they say a powder one in the kitchen and one on each floor in an accessible place - so three may be a reasonable number for your villa.

However, the biggest risk is actually most people are not trained to use them and could end up causing more damage or risk injury trying to use them. A prime example of this is the CO2 types - this is compressed CO2 released as a gas - however, the temperature required to keep the gas in liquid form is extremely low and most people would be tempted to hold the extinguisher by the nozzle - and consequently end up with severe frostbite as their hand ends up frozen to the extinguisher.

They used to be colour coded but EU regulatins now state they must all be Red and the type of funnel is used to distinguish them. Best advise is to get out the building closing all doors if possible and call the fire brigade.