USCG Exam PracticeFire extinguishers — types, ratings, requirements
A dry chemical stored pressure fire extinguisher without a pressure gauge, manufactured in 1962, is carried on a recreational vessel. Under 33 CFR §175.310, when must this extinguisher be reweighed ashore before it can continue to count as required equipment?
- A. When 12 months have elapsed since the last weight check
- ✓ When 6 months have elapsed since the last weight checkCorrect
- C. When the outer seal is broken, regardless of time elapsed
- D. When the frangible disc in the neck of the container is intact
Why B is correct
33 CFR §175.310(d)(1) states that when the inspection record tag shows 6 months have elapsed since the last weight check ashore, the extinguisher is no longer accepted as meeting required maintenance conditions until reweighed and found serviceable. The broken-seal condition triggers a separate inspection requirement under §175.310(d)(3), not the 6-month reweigh rule.
Cited:33 CFR §175.310