As a company we are always bringing to people’s attention the need to have good quality, serviceable and appropriate fire detection and extinguishing devices – the benefits speak for themselves, aside from being a legal requirement in many places.
However, what is often overlooked is what happens when a device such as a fire extinguisher reaches the end of it’s serviceable life? What do you do with it? The extinguisher might now be consigned to the rubbish bin but a highly pressurised, large metal canister is not something anyone should consider just putting in the office bin!
However, we recently read of one such incident in central London where somebody did incorrectly dispose of a redundant extinguisher into the general rubbish and it caused quite an incident. Unfortunately when refuse collectors emptied the bin, the CO2 fire extinguisher was tipped into the back of the rubbish truck and subsequently exploded under the pressure of being crushed by the machine. Thankfully no-body was injured although considering the forces involved in the explosion this was extremely fortunate indeed, it did however cause considerable damage and it left rubbish strewn across the street.
Given the pressurised nature of extinguishers these need to be disposed of correctly and this is where FASS can help. We are licensed waste carriers and as such have the correct paperwork and knowledge to correctly dispose of extinguishers safely. So if you require your extinguishers to checked to ensure they are still operable and safe to use, or require your old and redundant extinguishers to be disposed of, please contact us to discuss how we can help you.
