Gowrie Group, a prominent insurance agency, publishes monthly Risk & Safety Reports. Portable fire 

extinguishers can be found everywhere: in homes, in the workplace, on boats, in vehicles. But just having extinguishers around is not enough, especially in the workplace. When extinguishers are provided for use by employees, OSHA’s standards for placement, use, maintenance, and testing must be complied with – both for safety and to avoid multiple $7,000 fines. OSHA fines are per violation, and in this case, it means per fire extinguisher! OSHA’s complete standards for Portable Fire Extinguishers are in regulation 29 CFR 1910.157.

'Unfortunately blocked extinguishers are found in most workplaces. This is both unsafe and a sure way to a $7,000 OSHA violation fine,' said Kellie Crete, Gowrie's Safety & Loss Expert