Do I need fire extinguishers?
Yes, almost every premises needs some. How many and what type is set by your fire risk assessment, not by the extinguisher company. The annual service, the monthly check you do yourself, the five-year discharge, and why per-unit servicing is where the small print bites.
Looking for the technical detail? Read the version for professionals → BS 5306-3:2017, BS 5306-8:2023, BS EN 3, provision calculations, service intervals and commissioning.
Do I need them? Yes. Almost every premises needs at least one, and most need several. How many and what type is a fire risk assessment decision.
Once I have them, what's the ongoing duty? A monthly check by you, an annual service by an engineer, and an extended service every five years (ten for CO2).
Where do buyers lose money? Per-unit pricing with a minimum charge that makes a two-extinguisher shop pay for six; "replacement every five years" that isn't in any standard; and more extinguishers than the assessment calls for, each of which then costs money every year for life.
What the law actually requires
The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, article 13: premises must, to the extent appropriate, be equipped with appropriate fire-fighting equipment. Article 17: it must be maintained in efficient working order and good repair. The assessment determines "appropriate". Scotland and Northern Ireland impose the same duty.
BS 5306-8:2023 sets how many and what type: for Class A risk (ordinary combustibles) a minimum of two extinguishers per floor with a combined rating of 26A per 200 m² of floor area, and a maximum travel distance of 30 metres. Kitchens with deep-fat fryers need Class F wet chemical. Electrical equipment needs CO2 (or a suitable dry powder). Very small premises can justify a single extinguisher. BS 5306-3:2017 sets the maintenance regime: monthly user check, annual basic service, extended service at five years (water, foam, powder) or ten (CO2). Neither is law; both are the benchmark.
Insurers commonly require extinguishers to be provided to BS 5306-8 and serviced annually to BS 5306-3 by a competent company (BAFE SP101 registration is the usual scheme), with service labels and records. After a fire the service label is the first thing the loss adjuster photographs.
What this means for your premises
Small office or shop, one floor, no cooking: typically two extinguishers, a water or foam for general risk and a CO2 for electrical, near the exit. Some very small premises justify one.
Restaurant, café, takeaway: the above, plus a wet chemical unit and a fire blanket in the kitchen.
Multi-floor premises: the minimum on every floor, positioned so nobody is more than 30 metres from one, ideally on escape routes and by exits.
Workshops, garages, plant rooms: additional types depending on the risk, decided by the assessment.
Your options
Provision
Take the numbers and types from the fire risk assessment. Buy them outright; they're cheap. Have them commissioned on site by a competent person under BS 5306-3 (checking they're correct, charged, and positioned) and get the commissioning certificate.
Don't rent. Rental schemes cost several times the purchase price over a few years and tie the servicing to the supplier.
Maintenance: the two layers
Layer 1: monthly, by you. Each unit: in its place, unobstructed, pin and seal intact, gauge in the green, no corrosion or damage, service label current. Two minutes a unit. Record it.
Layer 2: annual basic service, by a competent engineer. Every unit inspected, weighed where relevant, labelled and recorded. Use a BAFE SP101 company or equivalent. Pay per visit.
Extended service at five years (ten for CO2): discharge, internal inspection, refill. Often it's cheaper to replace a small water or foam unit than to extended-service it. Ask for both prices.
What it should cost
Basic annual service: £8 to £15 per extinguisher, plus a call-out or minimum charge of £40 to £80. Extended service with refill: £20 to £50 per unit. New units: 6-litre foam or 9-litre water £25 to £50, 2 kg CO2 £30 to £60, 6-litre wet chemical £60 to £100.
Watch the minimum charge. A two-extinguisher shop paying a £75 minimum for £24 of servicing is normal, and sometimes it's cheaper to have the extinguisher engineer come on the same visit as the alarm or emergency lighting engineer, if you have a contractor who does both and prices them separately.
What you shouldn’t be sold
- More extinguishers than the assessment calls for. Each one costs to buy, to service every year, and to extended-service every five. The number is in your assessment, not in the supplier's van.
- "Replacement every five years". The standard says extended service at five years, not replacement. Most units last 10 to 20 years.
- Rental schemes. Buying is cheaper by a wide margin within two years.
- Per-unit servicing with a hidden minimum charge. Get the minimum charge in writing before the visit.
- New units on the annual service because "the label's expired". The label records when the last service was. It's the service that's due, not a new extinguisher.
- Powder extinguishers indoors. Cheap, and sold by the case, but they wreck visibility and electronics and BS 5306-8 advises against them indoors. Foam or water plus CO2 is the right combination for most premises.
- Extinguisher training as a legal requirement for every employee. Staff need to know what to do in a fire. Formal extinguisher training is good practice for fire marshals, not a statutory course for all.
Check what else your business needs
Extinguishers are the last line. Your fire risk assessment sets them, alongside your fire alarm and emergency lighting. Run the Compliance Check to see everything your premises needs.
Sources
- Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, articles 13 and 17 — legislation.gov.uk
- BS 5306-8:2023, Fire extinguishing installations and equipment on premises. Selection and positioning of portable fire extinguishers. Code of practice
- BS 5306-3:2017, Commissioning and maintenance of portable fire extinguishers. Code of practice
- BS EN 3-7, Portable fire extinguishers. Characteristics, performance requirements and test methods
- BAFE SP101 scheme — third-party certification for extinguisher service companies
Quick answers
- Are fire extinguishers a legal requirement?
- Yes. The Fire Safety Order requires premises to be equipped with appropriate fire-fighting equipment to the extent the fire risk assessment says is necessary. For almost every business that means at least one extinguisher, and usually two or more.
- How many fire extinguishers do I need?
- BS 5306-8 gives a starting point for ordinary premises: a minimum of two Class A extinguishers (water, foam or powder) per floor, with a total fire rating related to floor area, and nobody more than 30 metres from one. Small single-room premises can justify one. Kitchens need a wet chemical unit. Electrical risks need CO2. Your fire risk assessment settles it.
- How often do fire extinguishers need servicing?
- An annual basic service by a competent person under BS 5306-3, plus a monthly visual check by you. Water, foam and powder units need an extended service with discharge and refill every five years; CO2 units every ten years.
- Can I check fire extinguishers myself?
- The monthly check, yes: right place, unobstructed, pin and tamper seal in place, pressure gauge in the green, no damage, service label current. Record it. The annual service and the extended service need a competent engineer.
- How much does fire extinguisher servicing cost?
- A basic annual service typically £8 to £15 per extinguisher, plus a call-out or minimum charge of £40 to £80. An extended service with refill, £20 to £50 per unit. A new 6-litre foam or 9-litre water extinguisher, £25 to £50; a 2 kg CO2, £30 to £60.
- How long do fire extinguishers last?
- With annual servicing and extended service on schedule, most last 10 to 20 years. There is no fixed replacement date. Being told extinguishers must be replaced every five years is a sales line, not the standard.
- Do I need staff training on extinguishers?
- Staff must know what to do in a fire, which includes knowing where the extinguishers are and whether they are expected to use them. Formal extinguisher training is good practice and often part of fire marshal training. It is not a legal requirement for every employee.
This is general information about UK compliance, written for the person paying the bill. It isn’t legal advice. If your situation is unusual, get a professional to look at it.