Maintenance of Fire Extinguishers - Buses
Public transport safety, in particular buses has recently undergone a major overhaul in Victoria.
The Victorian State Government introduced new legislation into the parlament which came into force in December 2010 to improve commuter safety by way of the Bus Safety Act 2009 ("the Act") and the Bus Safety Regulations 2010 ("the Regulations").
This new legislation seeks to promote an improved safety culture for bus operations, and applies to all commercial and non-commercial operations.
One of the obligations outlined in the Regulations is for the maintenance of portable fire extinguishers as follows;
Bus Safety Regulations 2010 - SECT 8
8. Fire extinguishers
The operator of a bus service must ensure that each bus used in the provision of the bus service is not used unless all fire extinguishers fitted to that bus are maintained in operating condition. Penalty: 10 penalty units. 1
Australian Standard AS1851:2005, Section 15 (Portable and Wheeled Fire Extinguishers) provides the framework for the frequency and type of maintenance necessary to satisfy this Regulation.
In addition, some types of portable fire extinguishers may also considered to be Pressure Vessels and may also require additional testing to ensure the integrity of the cylinder. The Standard specifies an anniversary frequency of 5-Yearly for this test to be conducted.
Maintenance Essentials is a specialist contractor in the maintenance of portable fire extinguishers. We can provide a solution for bus operators to satisfy the maintenance obligations outlined in the Regulations, with the documentary evidence to satisfy compliance.
If you are a bus operator and need to develop a maintenance programme to help satisfy the obligations in the Regulations, then feel free to contact our sales team by completing our online form or calling us on 1300 30 88 22.
Other resources
- Department of Transport
- Public Transport Safety Victoria
- Bus Safety Act 2009 (Vic)
- Bus Safety Regulations 2010 (Vic)
