How often do fire extinguishers need to be inspected?

Any employer covered by OSHA general industry rules that provides portable fire extinguishers. The employer is responsible for inspection, maintenance and testing, even when a service company does the work. If extinguishers are provided but not meant for employee use, and the employer has compliant emergency action and fire prevention plans, the inspection and testing rules still apply. An employer with a written total-evacuation policy and no extinguishers in the workplace is exempt, unless another OSHA standard requires one. Buildings outside OSHA’s scope may still be covered by state or local fire codes, which commonly adopt NFPA 10. The monthly fire extinguisher inspection and the annual fire extinguisher maintenance check apply to every portable extinguisher provided for employee use.

• A missed monthly inspection or annual maintenance check breaches 29 CFR 1910.157(e). The rule also requires extinguishers to be kept fully charged and operable.
• OSHA can cite the employer. Maximum penalties assessed after January 15, 2026 are up to $16,550 per serious or other-than-serious violation and up to $165,514 per willful or repeated violation.
• A unit past its hydrostatic test date should not stay in service. OSHA requires shells that fail a hydrostatic test to be removed from service and from the workplace.
• Local fire inspectors may also check that annual, 6-year and 12-year service is current. Portland Fire & Rescue inspectors do this, for example.

1. 1

   Monthly: check it is in place and visible

   Each extinguisher is in its designated place, mounted, and not blocked or hidden. The operating instructions are legible and face outward.

2. 2

   Monthly: check pressure and fullness

   The gauge or indicator is in the operable range. Lift or weigh the unit to confirm it is full.

3. 3

   Monthly: check seals and condition

   The safety pin and tamper seal are intact. There is no physical damage, corrosion, leakage or clogged nozzle.

4. 4

   Monthly: record the check

   Write the date and your initials on the tag, or log it on a checklist or electronic record. Fix or replace anything that fails straight away.

5. 5

   Annually: book the maintenance check

   NFPA 10, as summarized by the Minnesota Department of Health, calls for a trained technician with the proper tools, listed parts and manufacturer’s service manual. Check whether your state or city also requires a licensed service company.

6. 6

   Annually: check the new tag

   The annual tag or label should show the month and year, the technician’s name and the company. Keep the record. OSHA requires the annual maintenance date to be recorded.

7. 7

   Plan the 6-year and hydrostatic work

   Look at the last 6-year label or hydrostatic test date. Arrange a spare or equivalent protection while units are away, as OSHA requires.

A simple reminder plan: 30 days, 14 days, 7 days, 1 days before the expiration date. The calculator above puts these in your calendar.

• The annual maintenance record for each extinguisher. OSHA requires it to be kept for one year after the last entry or for the life of the shell, whichever is less.
• Monthly inspection records: initials and date on the tag, or a fire extinguisher inspection checklist or log.
• Hydrostatic test records with the test date, the tester’s signature and the extinguisher’s serial number, kept until the next test or until the unit leaves service.
• A photo of each new annual tag and 6-year label, filed against the extinguisher’s ID and location.
• A list of all extinguishers, with type, location, and last 6-year and hydrostatic test dates.

• Relying on the annual service and skipping the monthly visual inspection. OSHA requires both.
• Letting the tag date drift. If the service visit slips by a few weeks every year, units go past 12 months.
• Forgetting the 6-year internal maintenance on stored-pressure dry chemical units. The clock restarts only after a recharge or hydrostatic test.
• Missing the 5-year hydrostatic test on water, foam and carbon dioxide extinguishers.
• Taking units away for service without leaving a spare or equivalent protection.
• Signing the monthly tag without lifting the unit or reading the gauge.