AS/NZS 1841.1:1997
(Incorporating Amendment Nos 1 and 2)
AS/NZS 1841.1
Australian/New Zealand Standard™
Portable fire extinguishers
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Part 1: General requirements
AS/NZS 1841.1:1997
This Joint Australian/New Zealand Standard was prepared by Joint Technical
Committee FP-003, Fire Extinguishers. It was approved on behalf of the Council of
Standards Australia on 24 January 1997 and on behalf of the Council of Standards
New Zealand on 31 January 1997. It was published on 5 April 1997.
The following are represented on Committee FP-003:
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Australasian Fire Authorities Council
Australian Building Codes Board
Australian Competition and Consumer Commission
Australian Institute of Building Surveyors
Certification Bodies (Australia)
Consumer & Business Affairs Victoria
Department of Defence (Australia)
Fire Protection Association Australia
Fire Protection Association New Zealand
Fire Trainers Association of Australia
Institution of Fire Engineers
Insurance Council of New Zealand
New Zealand Fire Equipment Association
Standards Australia
Standards New Zealand
Telstra Corporation
TestSafe Australia
The Treasury, Consumer Affairs Division
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This Standard was issued in draft form for comment as DR 95315..
AS/NZS 1841.1:1997
(Incorporating Amendment Nos 1 and 2)
Australian/New Zealand Standard™
Portable fire extinguishers
This is a free 9 page sample. Access the full version online.
Part 1: General requirements
Originated in Australia in part as part of AS A31—1937.
Final Australian edition AS 1841.1—1992.
Originated in New Zealand in part as part of NZSS 1241-44:1962.
Final New Zealand editions NZS 4506:1978 and NZS 4551:1974.
AS 1841.1 —1992 and part of NZS 4506:1978 and NZS 4551:1974
jointly revised and designated AS/NZS 1841.1:1997.
Reissued incorporating Amendment No. 1 (February 2001).
Reissued incorporating Amendment No. 2 (April 2003).
COPYRIGHT
© Standards Australia/Standards New Zealand
All rights are reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or copied in any form or by any
means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, without the written permission of the
publisher.
Jointly published by Standards Australia International Ltd, GPO Box 5420, Sydney, NSW 2001
and Standards New Zealand, Private Bag 2439, Wellington 6020
ISBN 0 7337 1017 4
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AS/NZS 1841.1:1997
2
PREFACE
This Standard was prepared by the Joint Standards Australia/Standards New Zealand
Committee FP-003, Fire Extinguishers to supersede the following Standards:
AS
1841—1992
1841.1
1841.2
1841.3
1841.4
1841.5
1841.6
1841.7
Portable fire extinguishers
Part 1: General requirements
Part 2: Water type
Part 3: Wet chemical type
Part 4: Foam type
Part 5: Powder type
Part 6: Carbon dioxide type
Part 7: Vaporizing-liquid type
AS/NZS
1841—1995
Portable fire extinguishers
1841.8
Part 8: Non-rechargeable type
NZS
4506—1978 Specifications for portable fire extinguishers of the water, foam and dry
chemical types
4508—1979 Specification for portable carbon dioxide extinguishers
4551—1974 Specification for portable fire extinguisher of the halogenated hydrocarbon
type
This Standard incorporates Amendment No. 1 (February 2001) and Amendment No. 2
(April 2003). The changes required by the Amendments are indicated in the text by a
marginal bar and amendment number against the clause, note, table, figure, or part thereof
affected.
This latest revision ensures their publication as joint Australian/New Zealand documents
and brings them into line with current practice.
A2
The objective of this Standard is to provide general requirements for portable fire
extinguishers other than aerosol type, the requirements for which are specified in another
Standard.
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This Standard refers to materials, methods of manufacture and performance of the
extinguisher and any associated compressed gas container.
The original publications for the fire extinguisher Standards were AS A31 and AS A32 in
1937 (with later editions), AS A45 in 1963 and AS A163 in 1968. AS A137 and AS A138
were published in 1963 with a second edition in 1976 and redesignated as follows:
AS
1841
1842
1844
1845
1846
1847
1848
Portable fire
Portable fire
Portable fire
Portable fire
Portable fire
Portable fire
Portable fire
extinguishers—Water (gas-container) type
extinguishers—Water (stored-pressure) type
extinguisher—Foam (gas-container) type
extinguisher—Foam (stored-pressure) type
extinguisher—Powder type
extinguisher—Carbon dioxide type
extinguisher—Halon type
Specific requirements for individual types of fire extinguishers are given in Parts 2 to 8.
Selection and location of portable fire extinguishers in Australia is in accordance with
AS 2444, Portable fire extinguishers and fire blankets—Selection and location.
3
AS/NZS 1841.1:1997
Maintenance and servicing of portable fire extinguishers in Australia are maintained in
accordance with AS 1851.1, Maintenance of fire protection equipment, Part 1: Portable fire
extinguishers and fire blankets. In New Zealand they are maintained in accordance with
NZS 4503, The distribution, installation and maintenance of hand operated fire fighting
equipment for use in buildings.
Guidance on servicing of portable fire extinguishers is given in AS 3676 Portable fire
extinguishers—Guide to servicing.
A2
Statements expressed in mandatory terms in notes to tables are deemed to be requirements
of this Standard.
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The term ‘normative’ has been used in this Standard to define the application of the
appendix to which it applies. A ‘normative’ appendix is an integral part of a Standard.
AS/NZS 1841.1:1997
4
CONTENTS
Page
SECTION 1 SCOPE AND GENERAL
1.1 SCOPE .........................................................................................................................6
1.2 APPLICATION............................................................................................................6
1.3 NEW DESIGNS AND INNOVATIONS......................................................................6
1.4 REFERENCED DOCUMENTS ...................................................................................6
1.5 DEFINITIONS .............................................................................................................7
1.6 INTERPRETATION OF SPECIFIED LIMITING VALUES .......................................9
1.7 CLASSIFICATION AND RATING.............................................................................9
SECTION 2 MATERIALS OF CONSTRUCTION
2.1 GENERAL .................................................................................................................11
2.2 CYLINDER ...............................................................................................................11
2.3 COMPRESSED GAS CONTAINERS .......................................................................11
2.4 OPERATING HEAD OR CAP ..................................................................................11
2.5 STABILITY ...............................................................................................................11
2.6 EXPOSED NON-METALLIC COMPONENTS ........................................................11
2.7 EXTINGUISHER INTERIOR....................................................................................11
2.8 EXTERNAL SURFACES ..........................................................................................12
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SECTION 3 DESIGN
3.1 GENERAL .................................................................................................................13
3.2 COMPONENT DESIGN............................................................................................13
3.3 CYLINDERS .............................................................................................................14
3.4 METHOD OF OPERATION......................................................................................14
3.5 LIQUID LEVEL INDICATION.................................................................................16
3.6 EXPANSION DEVICE..............................................................................................16
3.7 PRESSURE-INDICATING DEVICE ........................................................................16
3.8 DISCHARGE FITTINGS...........................................................................................17
3.9 CHARGE AND RECHARGE ....................................................................................18
3.10 SUPPORT FITTING ..................................................................................................18
SECTION 4 CONSTRUCTION
4.1 CYLINDER ...............................................................................................................19
4.2 ORGANIC LININGS .................................................................................................19
4.3 SKIRTS......................................................................................................................20
4.4 OPERATING HEAD OR CAP ..................................................................................20
4.5 HANDLE AND HANGING BRACKET....................................................................21
SECTION 5 PERFORMANCE REQUIREMENTS
5.1 GENERAL .................................................................................................................22
5.2 INTERMITTENT DISCHARGE ...............................................................................22
5.3 EFFECTIVE DISCHARGE .......................................................................................22
5.4 FIRE RATING ...........................................................................................................22
5.5 ELECTRICAL CAPABILITY ...................................................................................22
5
AS/NZS 1841.1:1997
Page
SECTION 6 TESTING
6.1 DISCHARGE TEST...................................................................................................24
6.2 PRESSURE TESTS FOR EXTINGUISHERS OTHER THAN CARBON
DIOXIDE TYPE ........................................................................................................24
6.3 PRESSURE TESTS FOR CARBON DIOXIDE TYPE EXTINGUISHERS ..............24
6.4 CLEAR PASSAGE TEST..........................................................................................25
6.5 COMPONENT MATERIAL TEST............................................................................25
6.6 GAS LEAKAGE TESTS............................................................................................25
6.7 EXTERNAL CORROSION TEST .............................................................................26
6.8 PULSATION TEST ...................................................................................................26
6.9 SUPPORT FITTING TEST........................................................................................26
6.10 EXTINGUISHER DROP TEST .................................................................................26
6.11 OPERATING HEAD IMPACT TEST .......................................................................27
6.12 SIPHON TUBE TEST................................................................................................27
6.13 TESTS FOR PLASTIC MATERIALS .......................................................................27
SECTION 7 DETERMINATION OF COMPLIANCE
7.1 SCOPE OF SECTION................................................................................................28
7.2 GENERAL .................................................................................................................28
SECTION 8 IDENTIFICATION COLOURS
8.1 COLOURS .................................................................................................................30
8.2 APPLICATION OF COLOUR MARKINGS .............................................................30
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SECTION 9 INSTRUCTIONS AND MARKING
9.1 GENERAL .................................................................................................................31
9.2 PERMANENT MARKING ........................................................................................31
9.3 MARKING.................................................................................................................31
9.4 POLYCARBONATE CAUTION...............................................................................36
9.5 SERVICE INFORMATION.......................................................................................36
9.6 EXPORT EXTINGUISHERS ....................................................................................36
SECTION 10 PACKING AND SHIPMENT
10.1 GENERAL .................................................................................................................37
10.2 WATER, WET CHEMICAL AND FOAM FIRE EXTINGUISHERS .......................37
10.3 POWDER, CARBON DIOXIDE AND VAPORIZING-LIQUID
EXTINGUISHERS ....................................................................................................37
SECTION 11 COMPRESSED GAS CONTAINERS
11.1 GENERAL .................................................................................................................38
11.2 HIGH PRESSURE COMPRESSED GAS CONTAINERS.........................................38
11.3 CHECKING FOR LEAKAGE OF GAS.....................................................................39
11.4 PROTECTIVE FINISHES .........................................................................................39
11.5 MARKING OF COMPRESSED GAS CONTAINERS ..............................................39
11.6 ALUMINIUM ALLOY CONTAINERS—CHEMICAL COMPOSITION.................40
APPENDICES
A
ADHESION TEST .....................................................................................................41
B
EXTERNAL CORROSION TEST .............................................................................42
C
OPERATING HEAD IMPACT TEST .......................................................................43
AS/NZS 1841.1:1997
6
STANDARDS AUSTRALIA/STANDARDS NEW ZEALAND
Australian/New Zealand Standard
Portable fire extinguishers
Part 1: General requirements
SECT ION
1
SCOPE
AND
GENERA L
1.1 SCOPE
This Standard specifies the requirements for portable fire extinguishers. It refers to
materials, methods of manufacture and performance of the extinguisher and any associated
compressed gas container, instructions and markings.
1.2 APPLICATION
Specific requirements for individual types of fire extinguishers are given in AS/NZS 1841
Parts 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8.
NOTE: A portable fire extinguisher is generally referred to in this Standard as ‘an extinguisher’
or ‘the extinguisher’ and typical components used in portable fire extinguishers are illustrated in
Figure 1.1.
1.3 NEW DESIGNS AND INNOVATIONS
Any alternative materials, designs, methods of assembly, procedures and the like that do not
comply with specific requirements of this Standard, or are not mentioned in it, but that give
equivalent results to those specified are not necessarily prohibited. The specified approval
remains the prerogative of the regulatory authority.
1.4 REFERENCED DOCUMENTS
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The following documents are referred to in this Standard:
AS
1777
Aluminium cylinders for compressed gases—Seamless—0.1 kg to 130 kg
1851
1851.1
Maintenance of fire protection equipment
Part 1: Portable fire extinguishers and blankets
2030
2030.1
The approval, filling, inspection, testing and maintenance of cylinders for the
storage and transport of compressed gases (known as the SAA Gas Cylinders
Code)
Part 1: Cylinders for compressed gases other than acetylene
2473
Valves for compressed gas cylinders (threaded outlet)
2444
Portable fire extinguishers and fire blankets—Selection and location
2484
2484.2
Fire—Glossary of terms
Part 2: Fire protection and firefighting equipment
2700
Colour standards for general purposes
2706
Numerical values—Rounding and interpretation of limiting values
3676
Portable fire extinguishers—Guide to servicing
3791
Hydraulic hose
COPYRIGHT
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AS/NZS 1841.1:1997 Portable fire extinguishers - General
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