There are a significant number of fire hazard instances that require the attention of the fire department in the United States. This enhances the need for stringent fire prevention and safety actions that have been made mandatory across many states across the country. Inspections for fire hazards should be done at scheduled intervals. It is rightly said that the best way to deal with fire is to prevent it. Therefore, fire hazard safety inspections are key in avoiding any instances of fire in buildings resulting in dame to the structure or injuries/loss of life to the residents in the building.
The Importance of Regular Fire Inspections:
Before going to the fire inspection checklist, it is important to know the importance of fire hazard safety inspections and why are they mandatory. Different kinds of fire hazards can be rectified as individuals will be aware of measures to identify the potential issues and also know how to respond to such situations. Due to this, many countries across the globe have made fire safety measures a mandatory procedure to make sure that it becomes a key aspect of all the citizens. State norms and local ordinances need fire inspections that stress the need for employing a trusted fire safety service company to perform inspections to adhere to the norms and observe statutory needs.
What Should a Complete Fire Hazard Inspection Include?
Fire hazard safety inspections of buildings, warnings, and fines for violating norms and notifications of potential fire hazards are focussed on the sole intention of the safety of the citizens. But, in the period between these official inspections, it is key for building owners or supervisors to inspect the buildings for possible fire hazards. This will not only ensure the safety of the business and the life of residents but also make sure to pass the official inspections without any hefty code violation fines. Important areas of fire hazard inspection include egress, electrical wiring, maintaining the building surroundings, fire alarms, fire sprinklers, fire extinguishers to be adhering the compliance.
A Clear Path of Egress:
Egress consists of 3 elements or areas that are key for clear passage. Exit access is the area that leads to the fire exit, Exit is the door or any opening and exit discharge is the region that is on the other side of the exit which opens to a safe area of the shelter. An inspection by business owners or supervisors must include an analysis of all three components of the egress areas. Every component should be known, clearly seen, accessible, and free of any obstructions. The door exit must function smoothly leading to the shelter so that residents do not get stuck inside.
Electrical Wiring:
As a building owner or a supervisor, you have to ensure that the electrical inspections must adhere to the norms. There are chances that you may not be aware of all the rules, technical specifications, and norms related to these elements, but there are chances that you may observe certain common signs that you can observe and rectify. Verify all the electrical switches, boxes any power cords, or outlets at regular intervals. The electrical panel box and main structure disconnect must be checked and reachable to the fire personnel in case of any immediate accidents or electrical disruptions. Ensure to cover the open spaces in electrical connections and label the panels and breakers.
Maintain the Building and Surroundings:
Be sure to eliminate all the trash, debris, flammables, or any combustible material that may have accumulated near the buildings. Different types of flammable liquids must be stored properly in a closed container. There must be a strict follow-up of not making use of electrical rooms for storing any type of goods that are not required for running of the equipment.
Effective Fire Sprinkler Operation:
Fire sprinklers must be inspected and maintained adhering to the fire safety norms. It is the responsibility of building owners to complete the inspection, testing, and maintenance of these systems by qualified experts at scheduled intervals. Every piece of equipment must be labeled after inspection and the reports must be documented carefully. Building owners must maintain these documents while also ensuring that all the defects are rectified immediately. They can perform a simple inspection of fire sprinklers such as looking for any rust accumulation on the sprinkler head, any paint corrosions on them. Such issues can be found easily during a self-inspection leading to a report to the qualified fire expert service.
Fire Alarm:
Fire alarm panels with smoke detectors must be accessible with the labeling of locations, maintenance of all the documents. These are critical elements that are beneficial in crucial times and cannot be neglected. Any kind of signal or alerts that are displayed on the panel must be reported to the fire alarm maintenance company to address the problems immediately.
Fire Extinguisher:
All types of Fire extinguishers must be inspected thoroughly at regular intervals for any visible signs of rust and damage. The gauge in the fire extinguishers must be green in color that indicates operational efficiency. The fire extinguishers must be mounted on the designated areas and not be placed on the floors. These units must be inspected by a certified and trained professional at regular intervals. These units must be recharged or even replaced if the agents in the extinguishers are low, as these are scheduled maintenance activities that will make sure that the extinguishers are intact condition.
Bottom Line:
A self-inspection of fire hazards is important to ensure the optimal safety of residents in any type of structure. By doing these at regular intervals, building owners will guarantee to be aware of all the fire hazards and safety issues. Issues related to fire hazards will be rectified before they create hassles during emergencies. Protek Fire Systems is a certified, licensed fire protection company that provide safety tests, quality inspections, repairs on equipment as well as safety tests. Inspections also are done in compliance with the NFPA code.
