US Aggregates Develops Safety Tool for Fire Extinguisher Inspections

Fire extinguishers need to be inspected monthly, tested, and maintained to ensure they are in optimal working condition when the need arises. This includes checking for visible damage, confirming pressure levels, and ensuring that the extinguisher’s components are intact and functional. Some of our smaller sites have more than 50 fire extinguishers to check. That number grows to over 100 at our larger locations. With so many fire extinguishers to check, Safety Rep Shayla Meinders noticed that there could be room for oversight, so she set to work.

The safety checklist sheet was developed by Shayla with the help of multiple plant managers to establish a list of best practices that could be carried out at all locations. The fire extinguisher safety checklist is the latest addition to an existing larger platform used to standardize best safety practices, one of which includes uses for our Thermal Imaging Cameras.

The meticulous nature of the checklist aids in adhering to Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) safety regulations and standards. By covering all aspects of fire extinguisher testing, the checklist leaves no room for oversight, contributing to a safer work environment.

The tool has already been rolled out at our Columbus and Richmond sites with plans to adopt it at other locations in the future.

Chase Akins and Shayla Meinders contributed to this article.