Fire Extinguishers in India: Compliance Tool or Lifesaving Service?

Crafted carefully withe the past experiences as a Trainer, Auditor, Rescuer & Surveyor’s Perspective.

Introduction

In my career as a trainer, auditor, rescuer, and surveyor, I have walked through countless factories, offices, hospitals, malls, and residential towers. Almost every one of them had fire extinguishers neatly hanging on the wall. But the question I keep asking is: are these extinguishers truly safe?

Fire extinguishers are not decorative props or compliance checkboxes. They are lifesaving instruments — silent guardians that promise to be ready in the first 30 seconds of a fire, when panic is at its peak and survival hinges on quick response.

Yet in India, this promise is too often broken. Extinguishers are purchased to obtain occupancy certificates, displayed to appease auditors, or refilled for paperwork, but rarely maintained for what they truly represent — a service to mankind.

On paper, the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) has aligned IS 15683:2018 (Portable Fire Extinguishers — Performance and Construction Requirements) with global norms like ISO 7165:2017. Maintenance guidelines are prescribed in IS 2190:2024. Globally, NFPA 10:2022 remains the gold standard. Yet on the ground, I find extinguishers depressurised, corroded, and unfit for use.

If NFPA data shows that 80% of fire incidents can be controlled by a portable extinguisher, then their reliability is not optional — it is non-negotiable. Failure here is not a technical glitch; it is a betrayal of human trust.

Hydro Testing: A False Sense of Security

Most organisations in India take comfort in their hydro test records. Hydrostatic testing is important:

• IS 2190:2024, Annexure E prescribes hydro testing every 3 years & 5 years for most extinguishers

• NFPA 10:2022, Chapter 8 requires hydro testing every 5 years for CO₂ and every 12 years for stored-pressure water, foam, and dry chemical units.

IS 2190 2010 & 2024 latest update.

But let’s be clear: hydro testing checks only the metal shell. It does not evaluate the parts most likely to fail — the squeeze-grip valves, pressure safety valves (PSVs), rupture disks, O-rings, springs, and gaskets.

These small components are often the weakest link in the chain of safety. Their failure can mean a silent extinguisher during a fire, or worse, a violent rupture. Yet, neither IS 15683:2018 nor IS 2190:2024 mandate inspection or replacement intervals for them.

This omission turns hydro testing into a partial reassurance at best, and a dangerous illusion at worst.

The Silent Decay of Reliability

In my investigations of fire failures, the same culprits recur:

1. Environmental exposure – UV rays, dust, and moisture make seals brittle, corrode handles, and weaken cylinders.

2. Agent contamination – Water or impurities in dry chemicals accelerate corrosion inside the shell.

3. Component fatigue – Springs stiffen, O-rings lose elasticity, and valves jam with powder deposits.

4. Neglected inspections – Despite IS 2190:2024, Clause 3.2, 3.8, 3.15, 8.2, 8.3, which mandates quarterly inspections, many extinguishers lose pressure long before their refill date.

One metallurgical study of an AISI/SAE 4130 steel extinguisher revealed stress corrosion cracking from residual stress and contaminated extinguishing agents. The crack was just 3.35 mm deep yet caused rupture at normal operating pressure.

This is not simply “equipment failure” — it is an avoidable life-threatening hazard.

If we treated extinguishers with the same seriousness as medical equipment, these failures would not occur.

Indian Standards define the specifications for fire extinguisher components made of mild steel, with requirements for grades like IS 513, IS 2062, IS 6240 for bodies and ensuring proper welding, finishing, and anti-corrosion treatments such as epoxy powder coating. The relevant standard to check for specific requirements of a mild steel fire extinguisher is IS 15683:2018 (Portable Fire Extinguishers), which covers various types of extinguishers and their parts, including mild steel construction.

Pressure Relief Devices: A Lesson from Abroad

In India, only CO₂ extinguishers are required to have pressure relief devices (PRDs), as per IS 15683:2018, The reasoning is that CO₂ units operate at higher pressures.

But in 1997, Ireland faced a fatal tragedy: a fire extinguisher explosion claimed a life. Their response was swift and humane. Under IS 291:2015+A1:2022, Ireland mandated PRDs on all portable extinguishers, regardless of type.

The rationale was simple: during a fire, any extinguisher exposed to high heat can over-pressurise and explode.

Why, then, should Indian citizens accept weaker safeguards than those in Europe? Safety must not be negotiable based on geography.

Maintenance: The Achilles Heel

IS 2190:2024, Clause 8 requires quarterly inspections. NFPA 10:2022, Chapter 7 demands monthly checks.

But reality paints a different picture. In semi-urban and rural India, I often see extinguishers left untouched for years — gauges in the red, nozzles blocked, hoses cracked. In remote areas, certified service agencies are absent, leaving buildings without reliable protection.

Even in large industrial sites with CISF security, maintenance is slowed by bureaucracy and cost pressures.

Worse still, the market is flooded with unauthorised refillers. These operators offer low-cost services, often skipping hydro tests, using inferior powders, or mishandling high-pressure CO₂ units. A single mistake here can turn a safety device into a bomb in the workplace.

IS 2190:2024, Clause 8 & Annexure C rightly insists that refilling and testing be done only by manufacturers or authorised agencies. But without enforcement, this clause remains ink on paper.

When extinguishers fail due to poor maintenance, we must recognise this as more than

Basic Idea of Fire Extinguisher parts

negligence — it is a crime against life safety.

Accountability and Product Liability

In developed countries, product liability laws ensure that manufacturers face severe consequences if life-saving equipment fails. Lawsuits, recalls, or even closure are real possibilities.

In India, no such framework exists. If an extinguisher is found depressurised or defective, the burden shifts to the buyer, not the supplier. This injustice punishes the innocent and protects the careless.

We need urgent reform:

• Mandatory Annual Maintenance Contracts (AMCs) tied to every purchase.

• Heavy penalties for incomplete refills or skipped hydro tests.

• Product liability laws specific to fire safety equipment.

When lives depend on these devices, accountability is not optional — it is a duty to mankind.

Certification: The Trust Dilemma

In India, extinguishers exist in a strange paradox:

• UL-listed extinguishers (tested to UL 711 and UL 299) are globally trusted but several times costlier.

• ISI-marked extinguishers under IS 15683:2018 are common, cheaper, but less trusted.

• Imported Chinese extinguishers, stamped with UL/FM marks, are widely used despite questionable authenticity.

Kanex Fire claims to be the first Indian company with UL-listed extinguishers. Meanwhile, the QCO 2023 (Quality Control Order) may soon restrict non-BIS products.

But here is the hard truth: certificates alone do not save lives. Unless BIS standards evolve to match UL and EN rigor, India risks a dangerous gap — compliance without safety.

The New Fire Landscape

Modern fires are not the fires of 20 years ago. Today’s homes and workplaces are packed with synthetics, plastics, lithium-ion batteries, and electronics. These burn hotter, faster, and release toxic smoke.

Even extinguishers tested under older standards may fail against such threats.

This is why standards cannot remain static. If our buildings are changing, our safeguards must change faster. Every outdated standard is a delay measured in lost lives.

The Way Forward: From Compliance to Compassion

Through my work training fire wardens, auditing facilities, and responding to emergencies, I am convinced: extinguishers must be treated not as compliance tools but as instruments of compassion and responsibility.

1. Standards Reform

• Introduce replacement intervals for valves, O-rings, PSVs, and rupture disks.

• Benchmark IS standards against UL 711/299 and EN 3.

2. Enforcement

• License and monitor refill agencies.

• Penalise unauthorised operators.

3. Accountability

• Enforce AMCs tied to every sale.

• Pass product liability laws for fire safety.

4. Business Responsibility

• Corporates must view extinguishers as business continuity assets, not expenses.

• Insurers must tie payouts to evidence of proper maintenance.

5. Public Awareness

• Citizens should demand 5–10 year warranties against leakage.

• Fire departments and QCI must elevate awareness campaigns from compliance to life-saving service.

Final Word

A fire extinguisher is not just a red cylinder. It is a first responder, a business protector, and a guardian of life.

Every leaking valve, every empty gauge, every skipped hydro test is not just a technical failure. It is a betrayal of trust. It is negligence against humanity.

As professionals, businesses, and citizens, we must see extinguishers for what they truly are: a service to mankind.

When flames rise, there is no second chance. The extinguisher must work. And until India raises its standards, enforces accountability, and nurtures a culture of compassion, we will continue to lose lives that could have been saved.

“All the information presented above is based solely on the past and present experiences of firefighters, the legal provisions available in India, and

represents a collective opinion and ideas of diverse voices, filtered for educational purposes. This content reflects the perspective of the author and may

represent a different school of thought, with the overarching aim of promoting safety and contributing to the vision of a safer and more resilient India. Jai Hind!"

©drtksaravanan2025