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Firefighting Equipment Inspection

30 CFR 56.4201, 57.4201, 77.1110, and 75.1100-3

 

30 CFR §56/57.4201 Inspection.

(a) Firefighting equipment shall be inspected according to the following schedules:

(1) Fire extinguishers shall be inspected visually at least once a month to determine that they are fully charged and operable.

(2) At least once every twelve months, maintenance checks shall be made of mechanical parts, the amount and condition of extinguishing agent and expellant, and the condition of the hose, nozzle, and vessel to determine that the fire extinguishers will operate effectively.

(3) Fire extinguishers shall be hydrostatically tested according to Table C-1 or a schedule based on the manufacturer's specifications to determine the integrity of extinguishing agent vessels.

(4) Water pipes, valves, outlets, hydrants, and hoses that are part of the mine's firefighting system shall be visually inspected at least once every three months for damage or deterioration and use-tested at least once every twelve months to determine that they remain functional.

(5) Fire suppression systems shall be inspected at least once every twelve months.  An inspection schedule based on the manufacturer's specifications or the equivalent shall be established for individual components of a system and followed to determine that the system remains functional.  Surface fire suppression systems are exempt from these inspection requirements if the systems are used solely for the protection of property and no persons would be affected by a fire.

(b) At the completion of each inspection or test required by this standard, the person making the inspection or test shall certify that the inspection or test has been made and the date on which it was made.  Certifications of hydrostatic testing shall be retained until the fire extinguisher is retested or permanently removed from service.  Other certifications shall be retained for one year.

 

Table C-1 Hydrostatic Test Intervals for Fire Extinguishers

  +-------------------------------------------------+----------+

  |   |  Test  |

  | Extinguisher type | interval |

  |   |  (years) |

  +-------------------------------------------------+----------+

  | Soda Acid.......................................|   5   |

  | Cartridge-Operated Water and/or Antifreeze......|   5   |

  | Stored-Pressure Water and/or Antifreeze.........|   5   |

     | Wetting Agent...................................|   5   |

  | Foam............................................|   5   |

  | AFFF (Aqueous Film Forming Foam)................|   5   |

  | Loaded Stream...................................|   5   |

  | Dry-Chemical with Stainless Steel Shells........|   5   |

  | Carbon Dioxide..................................|   5   |

  | Dry-Chemical, Stored Pressure, with Mild  |  |

  |  Steel Shells, Brazed Brass Shells,  |  |

  |  or Aluminum Shells.............................|   12   |

  | Dry-Chemical, Cartridge or Cylinder  |  |

  |  Operated, with Mild Steel Shells...............|   12   |

  | Bromotrifluoromethane Halon 1301................|   12   |

  | Bromochlorodifluoromethane Halon 1211...........|   12   |

  | Dry-Powder, Cartridge or Cylinder-Operated,   |  |

  |  with Mild Steel Shells1........................|    12   |

  +-------------------------------------------------+----------+

1 Except for stainless steel and steel used for compressed gas

cylinders, all other steel shells are defined as "mild steel" shells.

 

There is no MSHA policy for this standard.

 

This standard requires that firefighting equipment be visually inspected and tested at specified intervals.  Inspection and testing results shall be certified and the date of the test and inspection shall be recorded.  Certification results for hydrostatic testing shall be kept until the fire extinguisher is retested or permanently removed from service.  Other certifications are to be retained for one year.

 

30 CFR § 77.1110 Examination and maintenance of firefighting equipment
Firefighting equipment shall be continuously maintained in a usable and operative condition. Fire extinguishers shall be examined at least once every 6 months and the date of such examination shall be recorded on a permanent tag attached to the extinguisher.

 

There is no MSHA policy for this standard.

 

30 CFR § 30 CFR § 75.1100-3

Condition and examination of firefighting equipment.
All firefighting equipment shall be maintained in a usable and operative condition. Chemical extinguishers shall be examined every 6 months and the date of the examination shall be written on a permanent tag attached to the extinguisher.

 

MSHA policy can be found here: 75.1100-3

 

Other relevant MSHA standards:

56.4200 and  57.4200 General requirements

56.4202  and  57.4202 Fire hydrants
56.4203  and  57.4203 Extinguisher recharging or replacement

75.1103-9 Minimum requirements; fire suppression materials and location; maintenance of entries and crosscuts; access doors; communications; fire crews; high-expansion foam devices

75.1107-16 Inspection of fire suppression devices

75.1107-17 Incorporation by reference; availability of publications
75.1101-1 Type and quality of firefighting equipment

 

Issues to Consider in Determining Compliance:

        Are fire extinguishers inspected visually at least once a month?

»      Are fire extinguisher maintenance checks conducted at least once every twelve months?

»      Are fire extinguishers hydrostatically tested according to Table C-1 or a schedule based on the manufacturer's specifications to determine the integrity of extinguishing agent vessels?

        Are water pipes, valves, outlets, hydrants, and hoses, which are part of the mine's firefighting system, visually inspected at least once every three months for damage or deterioration?

»      Are water pipes, valves, outlets, hydrants, and hoses, that are part of the mine's firefighting system, use-tested at least once every twelve months to determine that they remain functional?

        Are fire suppression systems inspected at least once every twelve months to determine that the system remains functional?

        Are all inspections or tests certified and the date recorded? 

»      Are certifications of hydrostatic testing retained until the fire extinguisher has been retested or permanently removed from service?

»      Are other certifications (not hydrostatic testing) retained for one year?