Monthly fire extinguisher inspection checklist
A month-by-month record for a year of extinguisher checks — and a straight answer to what OSHA actually requires monthly, which is less prescriptive than most checklists imply.
Regulatory status The monthly VISUAL INSPECTION is required by OSHA. The fields on this form are not — no standard prescribes what a monthly inspection records, or any format.
1910.157(e)(2) requires that portable fire extinguishers are visually inspected monthly. That is the requirement. What OSHA does not do is prescribe a form, a field list, or a record for the monthly visual — the record requirement in 1910.157(e)(4) attaches to the annual maintenance date, which is a different activity.
So everything on the sheet below is a judgement about what is worth recording, not a federal requirement. It is worth recording anyway: a year of monthly entries on one page is how you notice that unit 14 has been missing its pin since March.
Type into the form below, then print — what you enter prints with it. Or print it blank and fill it in by hand. Nothing you type is saved, sent to EHSTEC, or stored on this device; refresh the page and it is gone.
Monthly extinguisher inspection
Unit
What to look at
| Item | OK | Defect | N/A | Notes / action taken |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Access and location | ||||
| In its designated location | ||||
| Unobstructed and immediately accessible | ||||
| Signage or location marker visible from a distance | ||||
| Mounted securely at the correct height, or in its proper cabinet | ||||
| Condition | ||||
| No obvious physical damage, corrosion or leakage | ||||
| Nozzle or horn clear of obstruction | ||||
| Hose and fittings intact, not cracked or perished | ||||
| Operating instructions legible and facing outward | ||||
| Readiness | ||||
| Pressure gauge (where fitted) reads in the operable range | ||||
| Safety pin in place and tamper seal intact | ||||
| Correct extinguisher type for the hazards in this area | ||||
| Fullness confirmed by weight or by lifting where no gauge is fitted | ||||
| Records | ||||
| Annual maintenance tag present and within date | ||||
| Previous monthly inspection recorded | ||||
Twelve-month record
| Month | Date checked | OK | Defect found / action | Checked by |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | ||||
| February | ||||
| March | ||||
| April | ||||
| May | ||||
| June | ||||
| July | ||||
| August | ||||
| September | ||||
| October | ||||
| November | ||||
| December |
Monthly fire extinguisher inspection checklist — ehstec.com/resources/fire-extinguisher-monthly-inspection-checklist · Published 23 September 2026. The monthly visual inspection is required by 1910.157(e)(2); the fields on this form are an EHSTEC choice, not a prescribed format. Customize before use.
Monthly, annual, and what is actually required
| Monthly visual inspection | Annual maintenance check | |
|---|---|---|
| Required by | 1910.157(e)(2) | 1910.157(e)(3) |
| Who typically does it | someone on site | usually a servicing contractor |
| What it is | a look: in place, accessible, undamaged, charged, pin and seal intact | a thorough examination of the mechanical parts, extinguishing agent and expelling means |
| Record required by OSHA? | No form or field list is prescribed | Yes — the annual maintenance date, retained per 1910.157(e)(4) |
That last row is the one people get wrong in both directions: some sites keep no monthly record at all and assume they are fine, others believe a specific federal form exists. Neither is right. The inspection is required; the paperwork is yours to design, and worth designing well.
What this checklist does not do
- It is not the annual maintenance check. That is a different examination under 1910.157(e)(3) and is not something a monthly walk-round satisfies.
- It does not determine extinguisher suitability. Which class and size belongs in which area, and the travel-distance requirements in 1910.157(d), are a fire-protection judgement this sheet does not make.
- It does not cover hydrostatic testing or any other periodic service interval.
- It is not employee training. Where an employer expects employees to use extinguishers, 1910.157(g) carries its own training requirements.
- Completing it does not establish compliance.
Sources
This is a checklist, not legal advice
Nothing here is endorsed, approved or reviewed by OSHA. Which extinguishers your workplace needs, where, and what servicing they require depends on your hazards and the standards that apply to you. See our editorial standards for how this content is written and reviewed.
Recurring checks that do not depend on remembering
A monthly check is the easiest thing in a safety programme to miss, because nothing happens when you do. In EHSTEC the check is scheduled against the extinguisher as an asset, a defect becomes a corrective action with an owner and a due date, and the unit keeps its own history — so the one that fails twice a year is visible as a pattern rather than as a surprise. See how equipment inspections work in EHSTEC.