How to Avoid Failing a Fire Safety Inspection

Even though fires are naturally dreaded, people still find themselves in fatal fire situations because of assumption, recklessness or arrogance. This is the main reason why fire safety assessments have to be carried out to keep businesses and individuals informed and oriented towards the unfortunate fire events. These fire code inspections serve to safeguard people's lives and may therefore be quite strict. That being said, businessmen with ambitious projects should not only be concerned about the meeting the fire marshal's checklist but be driven by the desire to save lives. By consideration of a few things in your facility, you can easily avoid fire violations and pass the safety inspection. 

Sprinkler Systems

One of the biggest mistakes people do is underestimation of the records they need to keep. This is especially the case for buildings that are fitted with sprinklers. In such facilities, precise records have to be kept showing all the sprinkler system checks that have been taken place since installation. More so, the sprinkler heads need to be checked so that the correctness of water spray radius is determined with regards to building access. Common violations involve blocking of sprinkler head with high shelves and packages that go up to the ceiling. 

Fire Exits

Another big concern for businesses, involves marking out of fire exits. Even though the fire code may be is specific to each city, every building in the UK should have clearly marked out exits. The fire exit signs should not only be present but have to be visible in dark as well as they would be in proper lighting. It may be apt to use battery powered or photo-luminescent signs which stay lit even in the dark. These will not only contribute to the overall compliance report but make the building a safe working environment. 

Fire Extinguishers

Extinguishers are just as important as exit signs and are a mandatory requirement. They should therefore be verified using inspection documentation attached on each of them. It is similarly important for you to consult with the fire marshal as to how many extinguishers should be in your facility. 

Extension Cords

Replacing permanent wiring with extension cords is a common fire code violation which you should avoid at all costs. Even though, a cord is ideally used for temporary power provision it should not be made a permanent link for light fixtures. 

Circuit Breakers and Heaters

In a fire event, circuit breakers should be easily accessible and while heaters need to be away from any combustible material. These are violations that will be determined with municipality specifics. 

Ultimately, if you want to know how to avoid failing a safety inspection, you should be ready to implement the mentioned conveniences as stipulated. You should also be your own guard by checking your fire alarms daily and testing them weekly for record keeping purposes. You should also check your emergency lights and extinguishers every month just to be on the safe side. This way, you will have peace of mind proceeding with your operations knowing that your facility meets all the compliance requirements.