The following are some of the requirements applicable to portable fire extinguishers:
- The extinguisher shall contain a minimum of 1 kg of extinguishing agent.
- The extinguisher shall be refillable.
- The extinguisher shall have a valve allowing cut-off of the flow of extinguishing agent.
Tukes monitors the conformity of portable fire extinguishers available on the market in Finland. Tukes acquires extinguishers from the market, has them tested and takes the necessary action, if the extinguishers do not meet requirements. Non-conforming products may be recalled from the market if necessary.
Portable fire extinguishers are pressure equipment.
Acquisition, operation and maintenance
Portable fire extinguishers are acquired by order of the authorities, by statutory requirement or voluntarily. Portable fire extinguishers are not difficult to use but the threshold to using one may be high if its use has not been practised in advance.
In addition to portable fire extinguisher companies, portable fire extinguishers are also sold by hardware shops, hardware departments of supermarkets and auto supply shops. Rescue departments and rescue associations, organisations and many training companies provide safety training that allows participants to practice the use of portable fire extinguishers and other first-aid extinguishing equipment under the guidance of professionals.
The occupant of a property must make sure that the extinguishing equipment prescribed by the authorities is in working order and has been properly maintained and inspected.
Portable fire extinguishers must be inspected at intervals of no less than
- one year if the extinguisher is stored in a manner that exposes it to factors such as moisture, vibration or changes in temperature.
- two years if the portable fire extinguisher is stored indoors in dry conditions with an even temperature.
The time of the first inspection is determined by the time of manufacture of the extinguisher. The container may have been manufactured before that, but it is the time of the first filling of the container which counts. If the extinguisher's time of manufacture is given to an accuracy of one year, the assumed time of manufacture of the extinguisher is early January that year.
Businesses performing inspections and maintenance of portable fire extinguisher and the persons-in-charge of those businesses must meet the set requirements. Tukes maintains a register of businesses and persons-in-charge who meet the requirements and have submitted the required notification, and supervises their operations.
Inspection and maintenance instructions for portable fire extinguishers
If you need instructions for inspection and maintenance of fire extinguishers, contact the importer.
