Manual Extinguishing Equipment (9.7.4)
Where required by the provisions of another section of this Code, portable fire extinguishers shall be selected, installed, inspected, and maintained in accordance with NFPA 10, Standards for Portable Fire Extinguishers (2012 edition NFPA 101 Life Safety Code 9.7.4.1*).
For a description of standard types of extinguishers and their installation, maintenance and use, see NFPA 10, Standards for Portable Fire Extinguishers. The labels of recognized testing laboratories on extinguishers provide evidence of tests indicating the reliability and suitability of the extinguisher for its intended use. Many unlabeled extinguishers are offered for sale that are substandard by reason of insufficient extinguishing capacity, questionable reliability, or ineffective extinguishing agents for fires in ordinary combustible materials or because they pose a personal hazard to the user (A.9.7.4.1).
Recall
Kidde, a well-known fire extinguisher supplier, recently announced the recall of more than 40 million fire extinguishers. The extinguishers, used primarily in homes, vehicles and boats, were recalled because they can become clogged or fail to discharge during a fire.
The company received one report of a related death in 2014 when a fire extinguisher failed to work during a car fire. There have been 16 injuries, 91 reports of property damage and 391 reports of extinguishers either not working at all or not working properly.
The recall includes a full list of 142 extinguisher models manufactured as far back as 1973 and as recently as August 2017. Some models were recalled previously in March 2009 and February 2015. All units have a plastic handle valve assembly. Units with a metal handle valve assembly were not included in the recall. The plastic handles and buttons can break or detach when force is applied.
Extinguishers were sold under dozens of different brand names in stores nationwide, including major retailers such as Amazon, Walmart, The Home Depot and Sears, often for between $12 and $50. For a full list, search the internet for “Kidde fire extinguisher recall list.”
Note: The fire extinguishers were sold in red, white and silver and are either ABC-or BC-rated. The model number is printed on the fire extinguisher label. For units produced in 2007 and beyond, the date of manufacture is a 10-digit date code printed on the side of the cylinder, near the bottom. Digits five through nine represent the day and year of manufacture in DDDYY format. Date codes for recalled models manufactured from January 2, 2012 through August 15, 2017 are 00212 through 22717. For units produced before 2007, a date is not printed on the fire extinguisher.
Kidde is offering free replacements to anyone who owns one or more of the recalled units. Consumers with a recalled fire extinguisher should contact Kidde at (855) 271-0773.
Kidde will ship the replacement within 10 to 15 days of getting your information. No receipt is required. The company is asking consumers to keep their current model until they get the new one. It will arrive with instructions on how to return the old extinguisher(s).