Corrective action
What to do when a fire extinguisher fails inspection
What counts as a failure
Any deficiency found during the monthly visual inspection requires the unit to be subjected to maintenance (NFPA 10 §7.2.3). The common failures:
- Pressure gauge outside the green zone (under- or overcharged).
- Broken or missing tamper seal, or missing pull pin.
- Dents, cracks, corrosion, or leaking agent.
- Cracked, missing, or clogged hose or nozzle.
- Illegible operating instructions or missing rating label.
- Service tag missing or annual maintenance more than 12 months old.
- Six-year or hydrostatic test date expired.
- Unit missing from its designated location.
The five steps
- Remove it. Take the unit down. A failed extinguisher hanging on the wall is worse than an empty bracket, because someone will reach for it.
- Replace it. OSHA 1910.157(e)(4): "The employer shall assure that alternate equivalent protection is provided when portable fire extinguishers are removed from service for maintenance and recharging." Hang a spare of equal or greater rating and class. If you have no spare, your fire protection contractor can usually loan one the same day; document the gap if there is one.
- Tag it out. Attach an out-of-service tag stating the deficiency, date, and your name, so nobody puts it back.
- Service it. Send the unit to your fire protection contractor for maintenance, recharge, hydrotest, or condemnation by a certified person. Recharging a discharged 10 lb ABC typically costs less than replacing it; a unit past hydrotest or with a damaged shell is usually replaced.
- Document it. In your inspection record, log the failure, the corrective action, the replacement unit's ID, and the date the serviced unit returned. This is the paper trail that turns a deficiency into evidence of a working program.
Tracking the follow-up
The failure mode auditors see most is a unit removed in March and never returned, with the bracket empty in September. Whatever system you use should carry an open item until the serviced unit is back on the wall or a permanent replacement is recorded. FireGuard flags failed units on the dashboard, alerts the account admin, and keeps the follow-up visible until it is closed.
When to suspect a pattern
Repeated low-pressure readings on the same unit suggest a slow leak that recharging will not fix. Repeated broken seals in the same area suggest tampering, which under NFPA 10 §7.2.1.1 is grounds for more frequent inspection or a locked cabinet with emergency access. Repeated obstruction suggests the extinguisher is in the wrong place for how the space is actually used.
Frequently asked questions
Can I recharge a fire extinguisher myself?
No. Recharging requires a person certified for that work with the correct agent, equipment, and the ability to reseal and re-tag the unit. Do-it-yourself recharging voids the listing and is not accepted by inspectors.
How long can an extinguisher be out of service?
There is no fixed limit, but equivalent protection must be in place the entire time. Practically, most services turn units around within a week. Record the removal and return dates.
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.