Fall is an ideal time for business owners and managers to revisit their workplace fire safety measures. As the temperatures change, seasonal equipment switches out, and employees settle into new routines, fire hazards can slip through the cracks.
While regular inspections by licensed fire safety technicians are essential, business leaders can also conduct their own 15-minute walkthrough to identify obvious risk factors and resolve these issues before they escalate. Think of this as a basic fire safety audit—not as a replacement for professional services. But it never hurts to monitor your equipment and evacuation routes in between inspections. On that note, here’s a quick, easy-to-follow routine.
Minutes 1–3: Check the Fire Extinguishers
Locate every fire extinguisher in the office space or commercial building. Make sure each one is visible, accessible, and unobstructed from boxes, furniture, equipment, or other items that could make it difficult to reach and activate in an emergency.
Look for obvious indications of corrosion, leaks, or other damage on the surface, and confirm the extinguishers are securely mounted in their cabinets. Do not service an extinguisher on your own—if something looks questionable, flag it for professional attention.
Minutes 3–6: Look Up at the Sprinkler Heads
Next, visually inspect the fire sprinkler heads in your building. Ensure no decorations have been hung from them, and no shelves, boxes, stored materials, or clutter is blocking them. All fire sprinkler heads require at least 18 inches of vertical clearance around their discharge nozzles, so the waterflow can spray in the right direction if a blaze ignites.
Pay close attention to areas of the workplace that have recently undergone renovations or are commonly used for storage. If you notice an obstruction, make adjustments, so each sprinkler head has the clearance it needs. Check for signs of corrosion, leaks, or damage as well. Never paint, alter, relocate, or repair a fire sprinkler head yourself. Issues with the system itself must be tackled by a professional trained in fire sprinkler services.
Minutes 6–9: Walk Through All the Exit Routes
Practice using the main evacuation routes as if you were leaving the space in an emergency. Are the doors, hallways, and stairwells clear? Are they accessible from all parts of the building? Are the exit signs visible? Can employees and customers reach those exits without having to skirt around furniture, stored materials, equipment, and other obstacles?
Be sure to check the areas outside each exit door as well. An unobstructed hallway or stairwell isn’t much help if someone trying to escape runs into clutter and barriers blocking their exit once they reach the doors. The goal is to make evacuation as streamlined as possible.
Minutes 9–12: Ensure the Fire Doors Are Functional
Now inspect the fire doors themselves, looking for obvious damage to the frame, hardware, hinges, and other components. Verify no items are stuck beneath the door or positioned in such a way that could prevent it from closing securely.
If you see any hardware issues, call in a team of professionals to dismantle the framework and repair it as necessary. These experts will ensure both the maintenance and re-assembly are in compliance with the latest commercial fire safety codes.
Minutes 12–15: Review Your Emergency Contacts
Finish this fire safety audit with a quick scan of the business’s emergency contact information. Is the list up-to-date? Do all managers and relevant employees know who to connect with for any fire protection system issues? And most important, do they know which first response agencies to call in the event an actual emergency situation occurs?
Confirm that all emergency contacts and numbers are accessible to those on your team who are responsible for risk and incident management. Finally, has the business undergone a recent transition in management, renovated any office spaces, restructured certain departments, or altered some of its emergency procedures? If so, make sure the contact information and other communication plans reflect those changes.
Don’t Let a 15-Minute Check Be Your Only Inspection
An in-house fire safety audit can catch many obvious, immediate problems, but it cannot be a stand-in for professional maintenance and inspection services. Fire protection systems have mechanisms that are hard to see with a cursory visual check.
Licensed technicians can evaluate these components, identify malfunctions or deficiencies, then perform the necessary tests and repairs to maintain working order. A seasonal inspection is a vital companion to any 15-minute fire safety audit.
So once you have completed this walkthrough, contact A&A Fire Protection to schedule fire sprinkler services for your business. We’ll help you resolve potential hazards before they can threaten employees, customers, or your building as a whole.
