Disposal Of Fire Extinguishers in Singapore
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How to dispose fire extinguishers in Singapore?
Need to throw away or dispose old portable fire extinguishers? Every day, our production facilities allow us to safely dispose 200+ portable fire extinguishers. We have a perfect safety record in disposing fire extinguishers and we do so responsibly.
While the contents of a normal fire extinguisher are usually not hazardous, it is the residue balance pressure that is dangerous. As these are pressurized cylinders, they cannot be directly sold to scrap metal yards or the rag and tag man or “karang guni”. When improperly disposed off, a fire extinguisher that is in a poor condition is a dangerous object. It can seriously injure or kill untrained personnel.
When to dispose fire extinguishers in Singapore?
According to Singapore Standards 578, the possible reasons for disposal of fire extinguisher (but not limited to) are:
– Corrosion
– Mechanical damage from dents or abrasion
– Evidence of previous repairs (Welding, soldering, brazing, etc.)
– Damaged threads
– Damaged sealing surface
– Broken hanger attachment
In Singapore, the two main culprits are:
Corrosion from rust | |
Dents |
* Many studies have demonstrated that salt air can corrode steel quickly. The rate of corrosion depends on exposure, distance from the coast and wind speed.
In both cases, a good fire extinguisher cabinet will greatly reduce rusting and accidental damages. As fire extinguishers are considered as life saving equipment, we strongly recommend all fire extinguishers to be housed in a protective cabinet.
The danger of carbon dioxide fire extinguishers
Amongst all the various types of fire extinguishers, carbon dioxide fire extinguishers are especially dangerous to dispose. Inexperienced operators are strongly encouraged not to dispose them on their own. A dry powder fire extinguisher is pressurized to around 14 Bars while a carbon dioxide fire extinguisher is pressurized to around 55 bars. The pressure is only an approximate figure as carbon dioxide is condensable gas.
With old age, it is possible that the internal thread holding down the valve may be worn off. Subsequently, during discharge, the valve may break off from the valve and fly off. This missile may seriously injure or kill. This is where a hydrostatic test cage can be helpful at stopping valves from flying off. As a result, only a licensed workshops will have the proper equipment to safely dispose these fire extinguishers.