AnthonyB

The issues are if the buggy would be an obstruction and whether it poses a fire risk in what should be a fire sterile area by way of it's fabric coverings. The default would be a no to storage, but depending on the answers to be above and the options for managed use of the communal areas some storage occurs in some premises

Possible, but unlikely. Some traditional fire extinguisher companies do carry out Extended Services on liquid extinguishers, but most will replace new as the trade cost 'out of the box' is comparable with the cost of an Extended Service once you've thrown in labour time, environmental compliance, and the cost of having all the parts, chemicals and charging equipment on every van. Plus it's years and years and years since engineer's training courses included recharging so there is a large number of engineers that don't know how to fill an extinguisher. You are looking at time to take the extinguisher to the van finding a suitable foul drain for legal discharge if the van has no agent tank a minute to empty the extinguisher a minute or two to remove the valve a few more minutes to strip the valve & change the O-ring and to rinse out the body (and where do they get the water to do this if they are at the van?) Another few minutes to blow the hose and dip tube and change the O-ring A few more minutes to refill the body with water (from where?) add the wet chemical concentrate and refit the valve A minute or two to fit the charging adapter, connect the Nitrogen cylinder in the van and pressurise the extinguisher and reassemble the hose A minute or two to fit the pin, pull tag, test the pressure gauge and affix the dot and to fill in the service label Time to bring the extinguisher back into the premises I would suspect the extinguisher was taken to the van, labelled as Extended Serviced, and brought back........

If you are genuine trade you should be able to go direct to manufacturers - Jewel Saffire, PJ Fire, Jactone, Britannia Fire, Express Fire, Check Fire, Moyne Roberts, TG Products. These can supply all the correct servicing spares and tools too. If you are a small quantity user then you may actually get a better deal via Safelincs as some manufacturers have different pricing structures based on turnover and Safelincs, who due to turnover will be on the best scales the manufacturers they use offer, may actually offer better rates than direct!

More or less true, yes. All F-Gas agents (including those used in extinguishing such as FM200 [ HFC-227ea] or FE36 [ HFC-236fa ]) are subject to the EU phased reduction in availability of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) by 79% between 2015 and 2030. As such year on year supply will become more difficult to come by and more expensive, although it will be a little longer before complete withdrawal.. https://www.gov.uk/guidance/hfc-phase-down-in-the-eu-how-it-works-and-exemptions https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/387955/F_gases.pdf http://ec.europa.eu/clima/policies/f-gas/legislation/index_en.htm

There is no legal requirement to hold the FDIS qualification to inspect fire doors - the actual specialist installers of fire doors and passive fire protection that also carry out inspection services don't have it and they are hardly incompetent. FDIS is a method of competency, but by a long way is not the only one - it's possible to be competent without this and (tens of) thousands of inspections are carried out every year to a competent standard by people not in this scheme. Unfortunately some FDIS holders have let it get to their heads and have been a bit misleading in their advice to end clients.

Point out it is there responsibility, that it's best practice (unlikely to get enforced against for not doing it) offer to train them, if they insist on paying for you to do it then it's an informed decision on their part which is fair - it's if they are led to believe they MUST have you do it that it would be inappropriate.

It's a private dwelling so BS5306-8 does not apply. It's not law either and is purely guidance as it is unduly OTT in small premises.

3 hours. 1 hour units haven't been manufactured for years.

Article 10 and Schedule Part 3 - Principles of Prevention. Whilst not explicit (few things are, the legislation sets out broad requirements, not the detail of how to achieve them), the cleaning of duct work would be a means of avoiding or combating fire risks as required by the legislation. There are plenty of destroyed workplaces that prove the need for such precautions.

Not for life safety. It could be a business continuity issue warranting such provision. I can't comment definitively without seeing the site, the tanks and building structure.

No. Very few situations require sprinklers for life safety. The archives may have a business continuity valve requiring protection, but again water isn't always best and a clean agent system could be considered, or better a fire prevention system such as Wagner Oxyreduct: http://www.wagner-uk.com/products/oxyreduct1/

Nitrogen, less moisture risk, plus compressors can't provide the pressure required for modern extinguishers so you'd need to be using cylinder air anyway and the cost difference isn't massive.

If it was just an inner room/access room then a Grade D smoke alarm to the access room and changing the lock to one that doesn't require a key from the inside would be the solution, but it sounds like an inner inner room situation - not usually permitted.

You could provide that type of coverage as an alternative to the mixed system set up above.

That's unusual, you normally get valve shutoff, but not fuel diversion. How old is the original building as basement fuel oil tanks with foam inlets are shouting pre-1960's office block. You've got more precautions than most generator set ups in buildings so I wouldn't be too concerned. Anthony Buck Alcumus HSE BAFE SP205 Third Party Accredited Fire Risk Assessors

Are you talking about a door from the building to the outside or in an outer wall fence to the street? Anthony Buck Alcumus HSE BAFE SP205 Third Party Accredited Fire Risk Assessors

It's not set in stone, but most providers use First Aid as a benchmark and put a three year expiry on, which as skills fade would be similar to first aid as you aren't regularly using your training isn't unreasonable. Your training regime must be suitable to the circumstances and risk and your fire risk assessor should be able to advise. A fire warden certificate should be transferable as the basic principles are always the same, however as specific procedures will differ between premises and organisations some additional instruction may be needed. Anthony Buck Alcumus HSE BAFE SP205 Third Party Accredited Fire Risk Assessors

Yes & possibly. Sounds like the old caretakers flat in a late 20th century building. A fire in the office block would have a major impact on the life safety of the flat. The flat as a minimum would need a self contained LD3 system to BS5839-6 plus some sounders from the main building system. There would not be an automatic need for main building detection inside the flat (cover to the stair landing outside the front door would do) but would have property protection benefits.

You really should have called the fire brigade at the time, not only for safety but because they would have taken out the mattress for you! Combustion by products include quite a lot of very nasty substances - anyone exposed should seek medical attention. Perhaps Social Services or a Charity could assist with the mattress issue.

Your fire extinguisher maintenance company can environmentally dispose of old fire extinguishers and issue a waste transfer note for your records - you can't just bin them (as someone found out when they blew up a bin lorry this way)

They are notices, not signs, so don't have to use the colours and symbols detailed in the Safety Signs Regulations, although it's best practice. You can produce your own or buy ex stock from a supplier No signs have to be photoluminescent as the normal & emergency lighting should be sufficient to permit legibility of key signs & equipment - the only time they would have to be is if a photoluminescent way guidance and information system is being installed instead of emergency lighting. Purchased signage can be normal self adhesive vinyl or rigid plastic and do not have to glow in the dark

Is this an office building or residential? Detection will need to be interlinked and depending on the premises will need to form part of a system complying with BS5839-1 including a control panel, manual call points, detectors and sounders. You need a Fire Risk Assessment prior to installing to advise what exactly you need as otherwise you risk: - installing something excessive, or - installing something inadequate, or - something completely useless

If you are discharge testing you will need to use new powder unless you have a proper closed circuit recovery system such as the Getz Superkan or Vacufill as the powder will get contaminated and absorb moisture. Virtually no one in the trade refills powder now as it's just not cost effective anymore

Depends on how important aesthetics are to the client - if they aren't bothered then just surface mount with metal clips.

You are meant to internally examine every 5 years with a stored pressure after the discharge test as part of an Extended Service, but hardly anyone bothers as it's not cost effective. Cartridge powders are opened up annually, but you don't have to remove the powder each year, just agitate and check the condition.