I am not quite sure how so many managers/executives came to believe that an improperly maintained fire extinguisher can NEVER be an actual hazard. Most of us in the safety arena have seen the videos and news/case reports of workers dying from a catastrophic failure of a fire extinguisher. But so many managers can not understand the impacts that a failed fire extinguisher inspection/testing program has on a workplace. I did a poll earlier this week of a 18-member management/supervisor group, and only two (2) understand the pressures these extinguishers operate at. And yet they all walk by many of them daily, never once understanding the risks.
But this problem is larger than a failed fire extinguisher! Management must understand what the MITIGATION LAYER of protection means and its role when all else has FAILED to PREVENT the dominos from falling and PROTECT assets once the sequence has begun.
