Mounting a Fire Extinguisher

Note: all extinguishers must be mounted with two clasps holding them in place.

Where a fire extinguisher is required for an official motorsport event (such as Dual Sprints) there are certain conditions that must be met, as follows:

  1. The extinguisher must be positioned within easy reach of the occupant/s while normally seated, especially the driver.
    For an MGB, this could be either in front of the passenger seat, or behind the passenger seat if the rear seat is removed.
  2. The extinguisher must retained by quick release metal fastenings/straps (or material of equivalent strength), and be secured to the structure of the vehicle by a minimum of two 6mm bolts with washers and locknuts.
    For me, as I didn’t want to drill any more holes in my car than was necessary I made up an aluminium bracket (using 3mm aluminium) that used the two front passenger seat bolts to mount from. This has been an acceptable arrangement for all event scrutineers so far.
  3. The extinguisher must be of an approved type, being a Dry Powder or Foam type stored pressure extinguisher, of a minimum of 0.9kg and compliant to either New Zealand Standard NZ4503 or Australian Standard AS1841.

An extinguisher that meets these specifications can be purchased from most Automative Supplies (Repco, SuperCheap) or Home Improvement stores (Mitre10, Bunnings).

Other points to note:

  • An extinguisher needs to be checked every five years by a recognised Fire Protection Company. Often it is cheaper to buy a new extinguisher.
  • Where the extinguisher does not have a pressure gauge it will be subject to annual checking.

This is by no means a comprehensive article for the mounting of extinguishers. For more detailed information see Schedule A, section 4.6 of the Motorsport Manual. Or if you have any questions or require further advice before buying or installing your extinguisher please contact the Club Captain (see Committee page)

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