Fire prevention is essential to a safe business. Learn everything you need to know for your establishment’s fire safety inspection.
According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), there were 499,000 structure fire cases in 2017. This automatically attracted a massive loss in business and properties. That is an experience that you don’t want to encounter after years of investment and growth.
No one wants a fire outbreak. But when it occurs, it is essential that it finds you prepared and ready to face it. Here are some fire safety inspection tips to ensure your business meets the expected standards when the inspection officers visit you.
Have Working Fire Suppression Equipment
The first thing on your fire inspection checklist should be to ensure your fire alarms are in working order. The inspectors will want to see service documents to verify that your alerts have been serviced yearly.
Additionally, ensure your extinguishers are easy to access in case of an emergency. The fire extinguishers have to be serviced or replaced every year. Therefore, you must have supporting proof that shows your business is equipped to face fire challenges.
Depending on the size of your business and type of products or services you sell, the number of fire extinguishers will vary. For instance, if you are selling petroleum products, you will require more extinguishers than when trading in a grocery store.
Communication with Firefighters
During the inspection, any issue can come up. Therefore, it is essential to be ready with the necessary proof. Your address should be accessible by firefighters from any direction.
You must show that there is clear communication between you and firefighters as they come closer to your store. Additionally, if your building has fire hydrants, they should not be obstructed and they must have at least 3 feet clearance on either side.
Employees and Customer Safety
An inspector will want to check how prepared you are to save the lives of people in your store. Ensure your emergency exits are clear and serviced regularly. Emergency lights and alarms should be in working condition.
Have signs that direct people towards emergency exits and ensure the signs are clear and consistent. Your fire assembly point should be clear and your exit doors should open easily without any complications.
Fire Safety Inspection: How to Prepare
If you are somewhat behind with the inspector’s expectations, do not panic. However, you also shouldn’t relax and wait for the inspector to find out that you are not prepared for a fire. Instead, register with licensed service companies that will prepare your organization and get you ready for the inspection.
Remember the documents you get from servicing companies will be the ones the inspectors will want to see. Therefore, you must ensure that the company is licensed and certified by the government to operate.
Be Prepared
Fire tragedies are experiences that you cannot be fully prepared for. However, ensuring that you are ready for fire safety inspections gives you another chance to operate your business smoothly.
When you have all the documents ready, you also stand a chance to prevent extensive damages from the fire before firefighters get to the scene.
Preparing for the inspection might be complicated, especially when you don’t have an expert to sort you out. However, you can contact us through our service page for professional assistance.