Boat Safety Inspection yesterday - Annual Fire Extinguisher Re-Certification

So in summary then.

Annual inspections are requirred.

They need to be done by a qualified person, but you can deem yourself qualified and fill out your own tag.

If you don't do that and are inspected, it may still be ok if everything else seems fine and your gauge is in the green.

I think that about covers it.
 
Bill 310 said:
So in summary then.

Annual inspections are requirred.

They need to be done by a qualified person, but you can deem yourself qualified and fill out your own tag.

If you don't do that and are inspected, it may still be ok if everything else seems fine and your gauge is in the green.

I think that about covers it.
Click to expand...
And remember to turn them upside and shake a couple of times a year.
 
Bill 310 said:
So in summary then.

Annual inspections are requirred.

They need to be done by a qualified person, but you can deem yourself qualified and fill out your own tag.

If you don't do that and are inspected, it may still be ok if everything else seems fine and your gauge is in the green.

I think that about covers it.
Click to expand...
Great summary! An interesting topic and a learning opportunity for us. Thanks!
 
Got a reply from TC and it’s still vague but here it is.

Thank you for contacting Transport Canada Office of Boating Safety, I will gladly assist you in your question.



Regarding Pleasure Craft and Fire Extinguishers.

  • Service for fire extinguishers is set by the manufacturer, If they state that it must have annual inspections and hydrostatic tests every 5 or 6 years by a certified person/company, then that would be required to keep the item in “good working order”.
  • Some fire extinguishers don’t require annual inspections but become expired after certain amount of years. These tend to not be marine certified and are only acceptable in your home etc.
  • So with that, depending on the manufacturer and their requirements that they have set out, the minimum standard may be to just keep the needle in the green within the pressure dial, or it needs to have the annual inspections and hydrostatic testing.


As per Small Vessel Regulations : https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/regulations/sor-2010-91/FullText.html



Safety Equipment — Accessibility and Maintenance

  • 5 (1) The safety equipment required by these Regulations shall be
o (a) in good working order;

o (b) readily accessible and available for immediate use; and

o (c) except for a life raft, maintained and replaced in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions or recommendations.

  • (2) Portable fire extinguishers and fixed fire extinguishing systems required by these Regulations shall be kept fully charged
 
Besides being completely ridiculous, ie.I can fill out my own form that says my fire extinguisher is 100% operational and ready to use

Here is a very nice do it yourself mothly kit were someone so inclined (they also sell annual ones)

It is worth it to me to have my fire extinguishers checked by a pro.

I would however prefer to have these quality tags that will be certain to last the year, as opposed to the cheap paper ones we often see.

Our boats are in a wet environment with higher humidity and the tags take a toll




1683580909974.png




1683580855030.png
Here is
 
Only thing that scares me about this IF and not saying happen if we do have a fire on boat and our self looked after extinguisher didnt perform to its extent . I wonder if your insurance company would say sorry SOL.
Rollie should be able to shed light on this as he does this for a living ... Rollie!!???
 
wolf said:
Only thing that scares me about this IF and not saying happen if we do have a fire on boat and our self looked after extinguisher didnt perform to its extent . I wonder if your insurance company would say sorry SOL.
Rollie should be able to shed light on this as he does this for a living ... Rollie!!???
Click to expand...
But do you think those guys certifying the extinguishers now are taking on any liability? Are they actually doing any more than a visual inspection?
 
Rain City said:
But do you think those guys certifying the extinguishers now are taking on any liability? Are they actually doing any more than a visual inspection?
Click to expand...
The fire extinguishers will continue to work. The inspection sticker is just to prove that you looked at it and checked that it's not expired.

We have so many at work that every year there is 2-3 needing replacing because they are at the end of their life (10 years or whatever it is). The old expired ones go into the garages and shops at home because they are still good enough as a backup extinguisher that isn't required by law to be there in the first place.
 
Last edited:
Bottle checks and all that stuff is a money grab. I go through this with my welding bottles. Fire extinguishers are no different. It's a bottle with a valve. If the pressure in the bottle goes down then you know there is a leak in the valve. How can a bottle rust? There's zero oxygen in there. Wanna check to see if you extinguisher works? Pull the pin and do a 1 second blast.
 
This is true but i worry about this kinda stuff ... had a battle once with volvo penta and it didnt go well.
 
ship happens said:
Bottle checks and all that stuff is a money grab. I go through this with my welding bottles. Fire extinguishers are no different. It's a bottle with a valve. If the pressure in the bottle goes down then you know there is a leak in the valve. How can a bottle rust? There's zero oxygen in there. Wanna check to see if you extinguisher works? Pull the pin and do a 1 second blast.
Click to expand...
No, do not do that. Your 1second blast with dry chemical guarantees the valve will now leak and the guage goes to zero.
 
Gong Show said:
I was waiting for the picture of a dead blow mallet!
Highly specialized equipment.
Click to expand...
Very specialized and will now require a college diploma for this skilled, bottom-banging operation. 😂
Didn't we once say "About as smart as a sack of dead blow mallets." ?
 

Attachments

  • 69K5001-dead-blow-mallet-f-01.jpg
    69K5001-dead-blow-mallet-f-01.jpg
    17 KB · Views: 0
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top