Portable fire extinguishers — readiness and servicing (Switzerland)
A list of checks and obligations with their cadence, ready to add to your agenda.
The portable fire extinguishers of a Swiss company, shop or building, where since 2015 the fire protection regulations no longer set a servicing interval: this kit keeps what is owed — keeping the devices ready for use — apart from what is recommended, namely the manufacturer's interval and the three years suggested by the industry. Inside you will find the device register with the manufacturer's instructions, the in-house checks, replacement at end of life and disposal. It addresses whoever runs the premises — owner, safety officer, property management — not the firm that carries out the service.
Questions about this product?
Ask what is in the manuals, how often the maintenance is due and what it takes to do it.
What it already has at hand
- No manual on this page
- 8 planned checks, the most frequent every 3 months since the last inspection
Planned checks
Informative summary verified on 12/09/2026. It does not replace legal advice: the regulation cited prevails. If you spot an error, report it.
Some checks are only mandatory in certain countries: pick yours and the list follows.
In Italy this product has no planned checks: the ones listed apply to other countries.
In France this product has no planned checks: the ones listed apply to other countries.
In Germany this product has no planned checks: the ones listed apply to other countries.
- 01
Keep the extinguishers ready for use
In a commercial setting the operator must ensure that portable extinguishers are ready for use at all times: reachable, undamaged, charged and not past the date given by the manufacturer; in private homes the same care is recommended rather than required. This is a standing duty, not a deadline: the 2015 edition of the VKF fire protection regulations no longer sets a servicing interval to hang it on. The operator of the premises is responsible, while the servicing itself remains the job of a specialist firm. Only one Swiss industry source covers this point: before any costly decision, ask the cantonal fire authority.
continuous checkLegal obligationBrandschutzvorschriften VKF/AICAA, Ausgabe 2015 (BSV 2015)Switzerland onlySourceverified on 12/09/2026 - 02
Check the extinguishers by sight in-house
Years can pass between two services: a quarterly visual round — gauge in the green zone, seal intact, sign visible, device in place and free of corrosion — is the practical way to support the duty of keeping extinguishers ready for use. The three-month interval is our recommendation, not a prescription: in damp, dusty or publicly accessible areas it is worth shortening. An instructed member of staff or the safety officer does the round; anything found must be passed on to the servicing firm.
every 3 months since the last inspectionRecommendedSwitzerland only - 03
Have a used extinguisher recharged at once
An extinguisher that has been discharged is no longer ready for use, even if the gauge still looks green: have it recharged and checked without waiting for the servicing reminder, and do the same after a fall, an impact or visible damage. It follows directly from the readiness duty, so it has no interval: the situation triggers it. Whoever runs the premises sees to it, a specialist firm does the work, and an equivalent device stands in the empty bracket meanwhile.
continuous checkLegal obligationBrandschutzvorschriften VKF/AICAA, Ausgabe 2015 (BSV 2015)Switzerland only - 04
Replace extinguishers at the end of their service life
In Switzerland no fire protection rule sets a maximum service life for portable extinguishers: the manufacturer does, and when the servicing firm judges that a device can no longer be repaired economically or safely, replacement is the way. The annual review is there to look at the years of manufacture in the register and to budget next year’s replacements. Whoever runs the premises decides, on the advice of the specialist firm; the replaced device then follows the disposal rules.
continuous check, confirm every 12 monthsRecommendedAngaben des Herstellers zur NutzungsdauerSwitzerland only - 05
Have extinguishers serviced as the manufacturer says
Since 2015 no servicing interval for portable extinguishers has been laid down in the fire protection regulations: what binds is the manufacturer's instruction, while the Swiss extinguisher industry recommends servicing every three years. The three-year reminder on this line is that recommendation, not a statutory deadline: if your device states a shorter interval, the manufacturer comes first. A specialist firm carries out the service; the proof is the report with the dated label on the extinguisher.
every 36 months since the last jobRecommendedBrandschutzvorschriften VKF/AICAA, Ausgabe 2015 (BSV 2015)Switzerland onlySourceverified on 12/09/2026 - 06
Hand withdrawn extinguishers to a specialist firm
A retired extinguisher is still a pressure vessel with an extinguishing agent inside: it does not belong in residual waste or in the metal skip, but goes back to the specialist firm or an authorised collection point, which empties and separates it. The waste classification — in particular for foams and halogenated devices, which may fall under special waste with a movement document — should be agreed with the recipient before handover: they know the correct code. The waste holder is the owner of the device; keep the disposal receipt.
continuous checkRecommendedVVEA/OLED (SR 814.600); VeVA (SR 814.610)Switzerland only - 07
Keep extinguishers accessible and signposted
An extinguisher is only useful if it is found at once: the spot must stay clear, the sign visible from a distance and the device hung where the fire safety layout puts it, along escape routes and near hazard points. This is day-to-day organisation by whoever runs the premises and concerns all staff, not a technical inspection. The six-monthly review re-checks locations after moves, building works and changes of use, and carries any change into the device register.
continuous check, confirm every 6 monthsCompany ruleSwitzerland only - 08
Record the dates given by the manufacturer
If the law no longer sets an interval, the only date that counts is the one the manufacturer prints on the device or in the instructions: read it once and write it down, together with the type, year of manufacture and location of every extinguisher. Without this register nobody in the company knows when a device is due for service — which is why this control, although internal organisation rather than a legal duty, is the hinge of the whole kit. Whoever runs the premises keeps it; the details can be obtained from the supplier or the servicing firm. The annual review aligns the register with the devices actually in place.
continuous check, confirm every 12 monthsCompany ruleSwitzerland only
In Austria this product has no planned checks: the ones listed apply to other countries.
In United Kingdom this product has no planned checks: the ones listed apply to other countries.
In Spain this product has no planned checks: the ones listed apply to other countries.
In Portugal this product has no planned checks: the ones listed apply to other countries.
In United States this product has no planned checks: the ones listed apply to other countries.
In Other country this product has no planned checks: the ones listed apply to other countries.
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