Fire Extinguisher Expiration?

sugilbert

sugilbert

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Always thought that all was A-OK as long as the gauge needle was in the green.
Last weekend, my son got stopped by the CG and all was fine except his fire extinguisher was 15 years old (Mfg date on the bottom). CG stays 12 years is max, and wrote him a ticket.
He can nullify the ticket upon showing new unit.

Went to the marine store with him today, who said they never heard of such a thing---only commercial vessels. (son's is strictly private!)
When did this start?
 
Boater safety class has been teaching this for at least 5-6 years, maybe longer. When I found out, I replaced mine as all I had were out of date. One was so old, it didn't even have a date stamp

I'm pretty sure if you get a vessel safety inspection from either the CG Aux or US Power Squadron, they check dates.
 
Steve - on the 4100 boarding form your son received, under Citation, there should be a reference to the USC/CFR which was violated. If legible, please provide. I'd really like to see the cite.
 
2016.
Rules where changed and certain inspections where removed. They also included a 12 year cap on fire extinguishers for all vessels. Recreational and commercial.

www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2016-07-22/html/2016-15229.htm

Well, they sure made a secret out of it! I am on boating forums and web sites daily, and never knew about it!
 
Im a Power Squadron vessel examiner and I was unaware of this 12 year cap on fire extinguishers. I went back and double checked my training materials and there was no mention of portable extinguishers having an expiration date. Not sure why they kept thus such a secret.
 
I've got 2 buddies, 1 Power Squadron and the other is CG Aux, they both do vessel exams and together, they teach the boater safety class. They are the ones who told me about the 12 year expiration.
 
Thanks for the heads up! Checked mine (1) '94, (1) '04 and (1) With NO stamp nor a date on the label. Went to Bass Pro and picked up (2) First Alert 1-A:10-B:C. NOT Stamped on the Bottom but in very small print on the label, 2019. Already 1/12 expired. Good to go until 9/2020 when the Arial flares reach their expiration date. Bass Pro team member didn't know of the life limit.
 
quote:
Originally posted by sugilbert

2016.
Rules where changed and certain inspections where removed. They also included a 12 year cap on fire extinguishers for all vessels. Recreational and commercial.

www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2016-07-22/html/2016-15229.htm

Well, they sure made a secret out of it! I am on boating forums and web sites daily, and never knew about it!

Click to expand...


Could you quote the section in that linked report that states portable fire extinguishers in recreational engine-powered vessels cannot be more than 12 yrs old?

I think that is a reasonably good idea, but I just skimmed that whole gobbledygook tome that I doubt anyone not subsequently under a psychiatrists care has ever read every word of including its crafters, but could not find it. :D
That doesn't mean it isn't there. Or in a separate publication for recreational vessel regulations?

And the report begins with "SUMMARY: The Coast Guard is issuing a final rule for certain design and
approval standards for fire protection, detection, extinguishing
equipment, and materials on inspected and uninspected vessels, outer
continental shelf facilities, deepwater ports, and mobile offshore
drilling units."
....Which indicates to me it is likely directed toward requirements for commercial vessel operations. "Recreational" is such a completely different category , I would think it would be mentioned separately if it the intent was to include it, not in uninspected ( commercial) vessels .
 
"These provisions apply to all the affected populations carrying
portable and semi-portable fire extinguishers listed in Table 4,
including recreational vessels."
 
Sandy -
from Steve's cite -

Federal Register, volume 81, issue 141 July 22, 2016

Page 48230

Maintenance: NFPA 10: 2010

2nd para –
“ Non-rechargeable (non-refillable) fire extinguishers are
replaceable units that are expected to require little or no
maintenance; after one use or a maximum service life of 12 years, they
are replaced.”

I can't speak to Power Squadron, but USCG Aux information does not include an expiration date guidance. So a at this point, I've been informing Exam Requesters of this 'requirement', but I will not / cannot hold back a satisfactory inspection for 'old' FE's.

https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2016-07-22/html/2016-15229.htm
 
quote:


I can't speak to Power Squadron, but USCG Aux information does not include an expiration date guidance. So a at this point, I've been informing Exam Requesters of this 'requirement', but I will not / cannot hold back a satisfactory inspection for 'old' FE's.

https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2016-07-22/html/2016-15229.htm

Click to expand...


I hope you are at least telling the vessel owners about the 12 year regulation.
If you inspected my boat and passed me with expired FE's and later I got a citation because of them, I wouldn't be very happy.
 
The US Power Squadron documents for conducting a vessel exam refer back to US Coast Guard documents. I re-read those documents yesterday and there is no mention of the 12 year expiration. I find the lack of clear direction to be very strange.
 
Thanks, Steve & Gene!
My latest 2 portables are 2 yrs old at most and unused.
Now all I need to do is get the winter yard to finish up so I can see if the USCG Aux. has begun to perform the VSC examinations once again, & get that annual helpful sticker on the side window.
 
Like I mentioned, I have been informing vessel owners of this requirement - as of this week - as that's when I heard about it (thanks Steve!)

I did reach out to my Aux leadership on this mission, and they state that our National leadership is aware of the issue, and is working on it . . ..
 
quote:
Originally posted by sugilbert

Click to expand...


Recreational boat? If so, the Boarding Officer was wrong and should have known better. I would wait for the VCCC to kick it back to them and to send a letter saying it’s closed. Then I’d forward it to the Officer in Charge or Commanding Officer that certified that Boarding Officer politely requesting an explanation for why his unit is enforcing inapplicable regulations for recreational vessels. It’s not okay, and that BO needs some guidance and training before he’s let loose again.
 
quote:
Originally posted by Good Grief

So what are you saying, NC? No NVIC, no requirement?

Click to expand...


Not for recreational vessels. Navigation and Vessel Inspection Circulars pertain to inspected vessels and facilities, and in some cases uninspected passenger vessels. When I’m back on a regular keyboard instead of tapping on an iPhone during a boring Zoom meeting I’ll come back and break down the different categories.
 
So TOTALLY Confused! Why, then, is ""These provisions apply to all the affected populations carrying portable and semi-portable fire extinguishers listed in Table 4, including recreational vessels." contained in the
link www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2016-07-22/html/2016-15229.htm

If you search the mile long regs for 'recreational vessels', it is the 2nd and 4th to show up out of 8.

I'm sorry, NC, but the writing seems to be on the wall---just hidden in small print, just like everything else in Washington!
 
thanks Mike, looking forward to it. FWIW - the Federal Register reference from Steve includes refence to recreation vessels (Sub-C), as well as UPV, Sub-T and Sub-K, and a bunch more. (table 4)

Steve - what specifically was on the 4100 form, and what specifically did the boarding officer explain? (the BO could have failed the FE's cuz they showed excessive degradation [e.g., significant sun exposure to operating valve assembly, causing the plastic to become discolored/degraded; excessive corrosion on cylinder; or, the indicating dial could no longer be easily read [again, due to degradation], and summarized that condition by stating they were 'old'.)
 
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