The poor quality and reliability of some fire extinguishers bought over the internet has been exposed in an industry survey.
The Independent Fire Engineering & Distributors Association says three-quarters of respondents to its poll have fire extinguishers that were purchased online.
Many of them are found to be of the wrong type, with some even being inadvertently placed in buildings after having leaked during transit, leaving them empty of their potentially life-saving contents.
In around four-fifths of cases, extinguishers bought online were installed at sites without having had the necessary “commissioning service” required by British Standards.
The survey also revealed that fire extinguishers installed at as many as three-fifths of sites do not meet even the most basic safety requirements (BS5306, parts 3 and 8).
All members of the association are now being notified of the survey findings, urging them to contact their customers and make them aware of the potential dangers of inadequate fire extinguishers.
The association added that professional advice should be sought as the bare minimum before making any purchases of such fire safety equipment.
Copyright Press Association 2013