Checklist
Monthly fire extinguisher inspection checklist (NFPA 10)
What NFPA 10 requires each month
NFPA 10, Standard for Portable Fire Extinguishers, §7.2 requires a visual inspection at intervals not exceeding 31 days (in practice, "monthly"), and also at installation. OSHA's general industry rule, 29 CFR 1910.157(e)(2), independently requires employers to "visually inspect portable extinguishers or hose stations monthly."
The inspection does not require tools or a technician. It requires eyes, about a minute per unit, and a record.
The 15-point checklist
1. Location and accessibility
- Extinguisher is in its designated location (the spot on your floor plan or the mounting bracket).
- Access is not obstructed: nothing stacked in front, no locked cabinet without a break-glass or key at hand.
- Extinguisher is visible, or its location is clearly marked with signage.
- Unit is properly mounted on its bracket or in its cabinet, at the correct height (top of the unit no more than 5 ft above the floor for units under 40 lb; 3.5 ft for heavier units; bottom at least 4 in above the floor).
2. Physical condition
- No dents, cracks, or punctures in the cylinder.
- No rust or corrosion, especially at the base and around the valve.
- No signs of agent leaking from the valve, hose, or nozzle.
- Hose and nozzle are attached, not cracked, and not clogged (look into the nozzle).
3. Pressure and charge
- Pressure gauge needle is in the green (operable) zone. Red left means undercharged; red right means overcharged.
- For cartridge-operated or CO2 units without a gauge, weigh or heft to confirm fullness per the manufacturer's label.
4. Tamper indicators
- Safety pull pin is in place.
- Tamper seal (plastic tie or wire) is unbroken. A broken seal means the unit may have been discharged and must be checked by a technician.
5. Labels, instructions, and tag
- Operating instructions are legible and facing outward.
- Extinguisher class and rating labels are legible (A, B, C, D, K).
- Inspection tag is attached and shows the last annual maintenance date within the past 12 months.
- Mark the tag with the current month and your initials after completing the check.
What to record
NFPA 10 §7.2.4 requires the month and year of the inspection and the initials of the inspector, kept for 12 months, on the tag, on a checklist kept on file, or electronically. Good practice, and what an auditor prefers, is a per-unit record that also includes findings (pass or fail with reason) and a photo of the gauge and seal. Note that federal OSHA's own record-keeping paragraph, 1910.157(e)(3), covers the annual maintenance record, not the monthly check; the monthly requirement comes from OSHA 1910.157(e)(2) and the record requirement from NFPA 10 as adopted by your fire code. FireGuard captures all of this from a phone; a paper log works too if it is actually kept.
What fails, and what to do
An extinguisher fails the monthly inspection if any of these are true: gauge outside the green zone, broken seal or missing pin, visible damage or corrosion, blocked or missing from its location, illegible instructions, or annual maintenance more than 12 months old.
When a unit fails: remove it from service, replace it with a unit of equal or greater rating, tag it out, and send it for maintenance or recharge by your fire protection contractor. OSHA 1910.157(e)(4) requires equivalent protection while a unit is out. Record the failure and the corrective action. Do not leave a failed unit hanging in place.
Monthly versus annual, six-year, and hydrostatic
| Interval | Who performs | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly (≤31 days) | Trained employee | Visual inspection, this checklist |
| Annual | Person certified under NFPA 10 §7.3 (your fire protection contractor) | Thorough maintenance examination, new service tag |
| Every 6 years | Certified person | Internal examination of stored-pressure dry chemical units |
| Every 5 or 12 years | Certified person | Hydrostatic pressure test of the cylinder (5 yr: CO2, water, wet chemical; 12 yr: dry chemical) |
The monthly inspection is your responsibility as the building operator. The others are scheduled with a fire protection contractor, but tracking that they happened is still on you.
Common mistakes
- Marking the tag without looking. The tag is a record, not the inspection. Auditors notice twelve identical initials.
- Skipping the back building. Units in mechanical rooms, roof access, and remote sheds are the ones cited.
- Not restarting the clock. The next inspection is due 30 days after the last one, not on the first of the month.
- No record when the tag is lost or wet. Keep a log that survives the tag.
Frequently asked questions
Can I do the monthly fire extinguisher inspection myself?
Yes. NFPA 10 and OSHA allow any trained employee to perform the monthly visual inspection. Annual maintenance, six-year internal examination, and hydrostatic testing must be performed by a person certified for that work under NFPA 10 §7.3, which in practice means a fire protection contractor.
Do I have to initial the inspection tag every month?
NFPA 10 §7.2.4 requires recording the month and year the inspection was performed and the initials of the person who performed it, on a tag or label attached to the extinguisher or in an electronic record. Most jurisdictions still expect the physical tag to be marked, so do both.
What if the gauge is slightly out of the green?
Treat it as a failure. Undercharged units may not discharge fully; overcharged units are a rupture risk. Remove from service and have it recharged or replaced by a certified technician.
Track this automatically
FireGuard schedules the monthly interval for every extinguisher, walks your team through the checklist on a phone, shows which units were missed, and produces the records an inspector asks for. 45-day free trial, no card.
This guide is general information about NFPA 10 and OSHA 1910.157 and is not legal advice. Requirements vary by jurisdiction and edition adopted; your Authority Having Jurisdiction has final say.