Internal tags now being used in hand-portable extinguishers
Nevada and California have both adopted a regulation requiring internal tags to be placed on the inside of stored pressure dry chemical handportable extinguishers when they are serviced, as reported in FIREWATCH,a publication of the National Association of Fire Equipment Distributors (NAFED).
Nevada state officials say the internal tag requirement allows them to verify whether a serviceman has opened up the equipment, as required.
Since the regulation has gone into effect in Nevada, numerous firms and individuals have been prosecuted for misservicing fire extinguishers. Nevada’s State Fire Marshal claims it is an effective way to prevent “ragging and tagging,” according to FIREWATCH.
Retired California State Fire Marshal Ron Bogardus emphasized the importance of the internal tag requirement. “Portable fire extinguishers are a key element in saving lives and property; the internal maintenance tag will insure the effective maintenance of these valuable devices,” he said.
Specifications for the internal tag are similar in both states, but differ slightly. In Nevada it is an uncoated litho, gum-backed label. The minimum size required is 1/2 X 3 inches. When it is in place on the siphon tube it must overlap the siphon by at least ‘4 inch.
The California regulation calls for the label to have a pressure-sensitive permanent adhesive. Its size must be 3 inches long and ½ inch wide.
Both states require the internal tags to contain the service date and the technician’s initials and/or license number. Because Nevada and California require annual dismantling of stored pressure dry chemical types, the information on the internal tag will match that on the external tag. Each year the internal tag must be replaced with a new one.
Many NAFED members are now using the internal tags within their own organizations to combat falsified or incomplete service inspections.
A 15-page information kit on the internal tagging system is available from the Nevada State Fire Marshal Division. For more information, write to: E. L. Williams, Assistant State Fire Marshal, State Fire Marshal Division, Capitol Complex, Carson City, NV 89710; or call (702) 885-4290.
