Free checklist
Portable fire extinguisher quarterly maintenance checklist
A quarterly portable fire extinguisher round is short on purpose: it catches the wear items that fail between annual services. This checklist is sized for a tech with a phone. Every item says what to look at and the photo that proves the round happened. Work is commonly verified against NFPA 10. Confirm the edition your authority having jurisdiction has adopted.
- Items
- 6
- Photos required
- 8
- Built for
- Subcontractors
Who runs it
The site or facilities person walking the building each quarter, phone in hand, tagging each extinguisher by its QR mount.
When in the schedule
Every quarter as a quick visual round, so an extinguisher that has been moved, discharged or gone flat is caught between the licensed company's annual visits.
The checklist
Every item, and the photo that proves it
The photo count on each row is what RTI would require before the item can be submitted. Copy the list as is, or load it into RTI and let the gate enforce it.
Location and access
- 2 photos
Extinguisher in its designated spot with signage visible
Unit on its marked bracket or in its cabinet, location sign readable from down the corridor, nothing stacked in front of it.
- 1 photo
Mounting height and travel distance still workable
Extinguisher hung at a reachable height and not left on the floor, path to it clear so someone can grab it without moving stock.
Charge and seals
- 1 photo
Pressure gauge reading in the operable (green) band
Needle sitting in the green operating range, not into the recharge or overcharge zones on stored-pressure units.
- 1 photo
Pull pin seated and tamper seal intact
Locking pin fully in place and the tamper seal unbroken, a sign the unit hasn't been pulled since the last round.
Condition and tag
- 2 photos
Shell, hose and nameplate free of damage or corrosion
No dents, no rust pitting on the cylinder, hose and nozzle clear and uncracked, label legible.
- 1 photo
Inspection tag present and current
Service tag hanging on the unit with the last dated entry, current quarter noted on the round so the history stays continuous.
What usually sends this back
The failures are almost always the evidence, not the work
- Extinguisher lifted off its bracket for a job and set on the floor behind a cart, out of sight and off its marked location.
- Gauge sitting in the red or hard against the recharge line and nobody reading it because the extinguisher 'looks fine'.
- Pull pin still there but the tamper seal already snapped, so nobody can tell whether it was used.
Run it with the Photo Gate
A checklist nobody can submit half-finished
Load this list into RTI, stick a QR tag on the area it covers, and the submit button stays locked until every mandatory item is answered and the 8 required photos exist. Approved walks roll into a branded turnover package with a tamper-evident record behind every line.
Submission state
The gate is enforced on the server, so it holds even if the phone is offline when the walk happens.
Verified against
Common questions
- What does this portable fire extinguisher quarterly checklist cover?
- 6 items across 3 sections, covering location and access, charge and seals, condition and tag. Each item spells out what the person walking the job is actually looking for, not just a box to tick.
- Who should run this inspection?
- The site or facilities person walking the building each quarter, phone in hand, tagging each extinguisher by its QR mount.
- When in the schedule should this walk happen?
- Every quarter as a quick visual round, so an extinguisher that has been moved, discharged or gone flat is caught between the licensed company's annual visits.
- Why does every item ask for a photo?
- 8 of the 6 items call for photo evidence. A checklist answer without the photo is a claim; the photo is what makes the record worth something in a dispute and lets a reviewer approve work without re-walking the job.
- What most often fails a portable fire extinguisher quarterly inspection?
- Extinguisher lifted off its bracket for a job and set on the floor behind a cart, out of sight and off its marked location. Gauge sitting in the red or hard against the recharge line and nobody reading it because the extinguisher 'looks fine'. Pull pin still there but the tamper seal already snapped, so nobody can tell whether it was used.
- Can I use this checklist in RTI?
- Yes. Start a free RTI workspace, build this list as a checklist, and the Photo Gate holds the submit button until every mandatory item is answered and its photos are attached. Approved inspections roll into a branded turnover package with a tamper-evident audit trail.
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