Having a proper sprinkler system installed significantly lowers the chance of injury or death in fire emergencies. These systems can, more often than not, douse a flame before it spreads too far. They are also more efficient: they use much less water to combat a fire than the fire department, meaning there will be less water damage in addition to less fire damage. Keep in mind that, unlike smoke detectors, these systems respond to the high heat of fires as a trigger. If your alarms or sprinklers activate it is time to get to safety.
The benefits of sprinklers do not stop at safety; having a sprinkler system may help you save on insurance costs, eventually paying for itself. Once the system is in place, it is also important to maintain it so it is ready when needed. Gate Keepers Fire & Safety can help with semi-annual inspections of all your safety systems so you can have peace of mind that they will be ready to protect you and your business in an emergency.
In addition to sprinklers, it is important to have extinguishers. While they have a long shelf life, another best practice of fire safety is to replace expired fire extinguishers. Before they expire, they can be hydrostatically tested as needed to verify their integrity. If needed, such action may be recommended during an inspection and the testing can be completed by Gate Keepers Fire & Safety as necessary.
When it is time to replace an extinguisher, it is important to dispose of them properly. Like batteries and other equipment, it is dangerous to just dispose of them in the trash. Even if it is no longer suitable for fire, the contents are still pressurized, and some contain dangerous and corrosive chemicals (see our article on types of extinguishers for more details on the types of extinguishers available).
If your expired extinguisher is still partially or fully filled, contact your local fire department as they may allow you to bring it to them for disposal. If they do not allow that, it can be disposed of at a hazardous waste disposal facility (even water-based ones, the facility will be able to recycle it properly). Before taking it for disposal, be sure to release all the pressure by squeezing the handle and waiting for the pressure gauge to reach zero, which may take a significant amount of time. Plan on using something that can hold it the handle open for hours or even a day, just in case. If the extinguisher is empty and depressurized, you can drop it at a scrap recycling facility. For location information there are online directories like this one to help you find a safe place for disposal.
Many extinguishers can be refilled and reused; Gate Keepers Fire & Safety can check a fire extinguisher to make sure it can be refilled and can refill it for you so you do not need to find a replacement. Our next article is on choosing the best extinguisher, so head here for more information.
For additional information contact a representative at Gate Keepers Fire & Safety at (303) 915-3670 or click here to send us a message.