As boaters are about to begin the spring ritual of getting their boats ready for the season, Boat Owners Association of The United States (BoatUS) is advising they will need to pay extra attention to the fire extinguishers aboard. A well-known fire extinguisher manufacturer, Kidde, in conjunction with the US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), has announced a voluntary recall to replace certain Kidde fire extinguisher units. A faulty valve component can cause the disposable fire extinguishers not to fully discharge when the lever is repeatedly pressed and released during a fire emergency, posing a risk of injury. About 4.6 million extinguishers are affected that were sold nationwide between August 2013 and November 2014.
To see if you have an affected fire extinguisher and arrange for a replacement, go to www.cpsc.gov/en/Recalls/2015/Kidde-Recalls-Disposable-Plastic-Fire-Extinguishers. According to the CPSC, Kidde has received 11 reports of fire extinguishers that failed to discharge, but no injuries have been reported. A February 12, 2015 safety notice from Kidde stated, “Due to our commitment to quality and safety, we have corrected the issue for production going forward, and are working with customers to obtain all recalled units currently in stock.”
Thirty-one models of the disposable fire extinguishers are affected. The extinguishers are red, white, or silver with black plastic valves and ABC or BC rated and manufactured in Mexico between July 23, 2013 and October 15, 2014 and sold at department, home, and hardware stores as well as some marine supply stores. Some of the affected extinguisher models were designed for the boating market and have a nameplate on the front with the names Mariner 10, Mariner 110, Mariner 5, and Mariner 5 G. If you’d like to know more about how fire extinguishers work, the types needed for boating as well as how many to keep aboard, go to BoatUS.org/fire-extinguishers.
