09/02/2026
🧯Fire extinguishers: why commissioning really matters 🧯
During a recent to a construction site, we opened a fire extinguisher cabinet and found the following issues:
Two cabinets with:
⚠️ A water extinguisher with no hose attached
⚠️ A CO₂ extinguisher with no discharge hose & horn fitted
And another cabinet with:
⚠️ With a fire extinguisher that had a damaged operating lever.
All of the extinguishers present and been purchased online, and had been installed by the site staff, who believed they were ok.
However, in reality, none of these extinguishers could be relied upon in an emergency.
This is exactly why BS 5306 requires fire extinguishers to be commissioned and maintained by a competent person.
Commissioning is not just a visual check, it confirms that equipment is:
✅ Fully assembled
✅ Safe to operate
✅ Mechanically sound
✅ Fit for purpose and compliant
Fortunately, the Site H&S Manager had arranged for us to attend in order to ensure they had sufficient fire extinguisher cover, and to service these extinguishers that had been in place since last year! Luckily the issues were identified before an incident occurred.
This isn’t about blame. It’s a reminder that:
👉 Visual checks are not commissioning
👉 Damage isn’t always obvious to the untrained eye
👉 Competence matters when it comes to life safety
Buying fire extinguishers online can reduce upfront costs, but without proper commissioning and inspection, serious risks can be missed.
Fire safety only works when the final step is done properly.
At Abbott Fire Protection, all of our fire extinguisher supply costs include delivery and full commissioning by one of our competent fire safety engineers.
That means every extinguisher is:
✅ Correctly assembled
✅ Inspected for defects or damage
✅ Installed in line with BS 5306
✅ Ready to be used immediately in an emergency
No hidden extras. No assumptions. No shortcuts.
