Laws and regulations
Every fire extinguisher marketed in the Netherlands must have a Government Inspection Mark. The decree and the referenced European standards aim to ensure that only demonstrably sound and safe portable fire extinguishers, which meet the requirements determined at the European level, are placed on the Dutch market.
This is stipulated in the Portable Fire Extinguishers Decree 1997. The Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations has mandated Kiwa Fire Safety & Security (formerly NCP Certification) to issue type approval certificates for portable fire extinguishers.
The Portable Fire Extinguishers Decree 1997 is based on Article 17, paragraph one, of the Fire Service Act 1985. The decree and the cited European standards aim to ensure that only demonstrably sound and safe portable fire extinguishers that meet the requirements established at the European level are placed on the Dutch market. This way, the consumer/user of a portable fire extinguisher purchased in the Netherlands and bearing a National Type Approval can be confident that such a device is intended and suitable for extinguishing fires for which it has been approved. The decree implements the NEN-EN 3 standard, which includes requirements regarding the safety and soundness of portable fire extinguishers.
The full text of the Portable Fire Extinguisher Decree 1997 can be found on the government website.