Your OSHA duty, and who inspects in Indio
Training is the employer's job. Under federal OSHA rule 29 CFR 1910.157(g), any employer who provides portable extinguishers for employees to use must train those employees at initial employment and at least once a year after that. Once at hire. Then every year.
Inside the city, commercial fire code work belongs to the Indio Office of the Fire Marshal, which is staffed by Riverside County Fire Department. It enforces fire and life safety codes and runs the Engine Company Business Inspection program. What will they look at in your building? Call that office and ask, because the answer depends on how your space is used.
Festival season adds new faces
City officials credit the Coachella and Stagecoach festivals with more than 10,000 temporary jobs across the Coachella Valley. If your business adds seasonal staff and expects them to use an extinguisher, each new hire needs training at the start of the job, not weeks into the season. Plan a session before the first shift.
What a session covers
Most of the time goes to the extinguishers your crew will actually reach for. We cover:
- Reading the label. Class A is for ordinary combustibles, B for flammable liquids, C for energized electrical equipment, D for combustible metals and K for cooking oils and fats.
- The basic motion. Pull the pin, aim low at the base of the fire, squeeze the handle, sweep side to side.
- When to walk away. A fire that is spreading, filling the room with smoke or standing between you and the exit is one to leave to firefighters.
- The monthly look. Owners are expected to check each unit once a month (gauge, pin, seal and tag). Staff who know that routine spot a problem before it matters.
Commercial kitchens are a special case. A kitchen protected by a hood suppression system also needs a Class K portable extinguisher, and cooks should know which unit that is before grease ever catches. For the hood system itself, see our Indio kitchen fire suppression service.
The units on your wall
Good training can't fix an expired extinguisher. In California, annual maintenance has to be done by a firm and technician licensed by the State Fire Marshal under Title 19, and the work is recorded on a tag on each unit. Stored-pressure dry chemical units also get a 6-year internal teardown and a hydrostatic test every 12 years, while CO2, water and Class K units are hydrotested every 5 years.
Some Indio callers tell us their insurance company checks extinguishers with little notice. Keep the tags current. Recent Indio quotes for the annual inspection have run $35 per extinguisher. Details are on our Indio extinguisher annual certification page; discharged units go to extinguisher refill in Indio, and the 5- and 12-year tests are under hydrostatic testing in Indio.
Who does the work
California work for 1 Pro Fire is performed by Hedrick Fire Protection, which holds C-16 (fire protection) and C-10 (electrical) contractor licenses and is licensed by the California State Fire Marshal under Title 19 for portable fire extinguisher service. Extinguishers are the most common reason Indio businesses call us.
To set up training anywhere in Indio (92201, 92202 or 92203), call (951) 384-0323 or email socal@1profire.com
Tell us your headcount and shift times.
More from us: the Indio fire protection hub, plus extinguisher training in Riverside County, San Bernardino County and San Diego County.
Before you call
- How many employees are expected to use an extinguisher
- Which shifts they work, including seasonal hires
- Which extinguisher classes are mounted (check the letters on each label)
- Whether you run a commercial kitchen
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Indio extinguisher training questions
Do you service Indio?
Yes. Indio is in our service area, including ZIP codes 92201, 92202 and 92203.
How often do employees need extinguisher training?
If you provide extinguishers for employee use, OSHA requires training when each person is hired and at least once a year after that.
Do my extinguishers need a 5-year or an annual inspection?
Both, depending on type. Every extinguisher gets annual maintenance by a State Fire Marshal licensed technician, and CO2, water and Class K units also need a hydrostatic test every 5 years. Dry chemical units go 12 years between hydrostatic tests, with a teardown at 6.
My insurance company inspects without much notice. What should be current?
The annual maintenance tag on each unit, plus your monthly visual checks. Trained staff can do the monthly check.
Who handles fire code inspections for Indio businesses?
The Indio Office of the Fire Marshal, staffed by Riverside County Fire Department. Ask them what applies to your building.
(951) 384-0323