NFPA 10 Standard for Portable Fire Extinguishers (Ebook PDF) (PROMOTE10 to Discount 10%)

This edition of NFPA 10, Standard for Portable Fire Extinguishers, was prepared by the Technical Committee on Portable Fire Extinguishers and acted on by the NFPA membership during the 2021 NFPA Technical Meeting held June 14–July 2. It was issued by the Standards Council on August 26, 2021, with an effective date of September 15, 2021, and supersedes all previous editions.

This document has been amended by one or more Tentative Interim Amendments (TIAs) and/or Errata. See “Codes & Standards” at www.nfpa.org for more information.

This edition of NFPA 10 was approved as an American National Standard on September 15, 2021.

Origin and Development of NFPA 10

In 1918 and 1919, the NFPA Committee on Field Practice (predecessor of the present committee) was active in developing a standard on first aid protection. The earliest official NFPA standard on this subject was adopted in 1921. Revised editions were adopted by the association in 1926, 1928, 1929, 1930, 1931, 1932, 1936, 1938, 1942, 1945, 1950, 1953, 1955, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1965, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1978, and 1981. In 1965, the previous editions were divided into two separate texts, one covering installation and the second covering maintenance and use. The 1974 edition recombined all the information previously contained in NFPA 10 and NFPA 10A. A new appendix was added to the 1974 edition to include information about the selection of fire extinguishers for home hazards. Information on selection and distribution of fire extinguishers was added to the appendix of the 1978 edition. Major revisions to provide simplification and uniformity were made in the 1984 edition. The standard was revised in 1988, 1990, and 1994.

In 1998, NFPA 10R, Recommended Practice for Portable Fire Extinguishing Equipment in Family Dwelling Units and Living Units, was withdrawn. Information on this topic was incorporated as an annex of NFPA 10.

This standard was revised in 2002.

The 2007 edition of this standard was a complete revision.

The 2010 edition of this standard included changes to comply with the Manual of Style for NFPA Technical Committee Documents by removing unenforceable terms. Annex material was also added to clarify the need for removing obsolete extinguishers.

The 2013 edition of this standard was revised to better address Class D extinguishing agents and the phase-out of listed halon extinguishers. The definition of halocarbons was expanded to permit the use of any halocarbon agent acceptable under the U.S. EPA Significant New Alternatives Policy program. The list of NFPA documents that contain additional requirements that supersede or expand upon those found in this standard was significantly expanded for easy reference. New travel distances for obstacle, gravity/three-dimensional, and pressure fire hazards were added. Chapter 7, Inspection, Maintenance, and Recharging, and Annex E, Distribution, were significantly revised and restructured. Instructions for inspection and maintenance of residential extinguishers were added to Annex F, Selection of Residential Fire-Extinguishing Equipment.

The 2018 edition incorporated clarifications on a wide array of topics, including electronic monitoring, obsolete extinguishers, extinguishers installed in areas containing oxidizers, extinguisher signs, and extinguisher mounting equipment and cabinets. A new requirement regarding maintenance of hose stations that are used in lieu of extinguishers was added. The fire classification marking system was expanded to include markings for extinguishers rated for Class AC and Class AK. The annexes were also updated to address current extinguisher types and ratings, while removing information on obsolete equipment.

The 2022 edition includes reorganization to sections pertaining to fire extinguisher selection which provided clarification on what type of extinguisher to use for a particular type of hazard with further explanations and examples in the annex section. Visibility requirements for fire extinguishers have been clarified as well as changes to inspection sections to ensure that proper visibility of the extinguisher is maintained. Labelling requirements have been updated to mandate detailed record keeping in labels. Maintenance sections now require that defective gauges be replaced and distorted cylinders condemned as well as changes on electronic monitoring system maintenance requirements.