Fire hazards are present in many commercial and industrial facilities. Production areas and warehouses, in particular, usually contain numerous sources of fire hazards.
Preventive fire safety is therefore essential. This involves many recurring inspections and reviews of fire safety systems. Typically, fire safety inspections involve trained personnel conducting inspections at the facilities at regular intervals, using checklists and inspection reports.
Why a fire safety manual is indispensable in day-to-day operations.
Companies are all too aware of the importance of fire safety, especially given the legal requirements. However, the reality of implementing these measures in day-to-day operations is quite different. Inspections are often neglected, and the last employee training sessions were held quite some time ago.
The goal of fire safety is to take appropriate precautions to prevent the spread of fire and smoke. This involves keeping fire loads low, identifying potential ignition sources, and training employees on how to respond correctly. All of this can be recorded in so-called fire safety logs to document processes and keep track of upcoming inspections.
Which areas must be inspected regularly for fire safety?
Fire extinguishers aren’t the only components that play an important role in fire safety. Early-warning fire detection systems, smoke exhaust systems, and escape routes—as well as the associated emergency lighting—must also be regularly inspected and maintained to ensure they are operational at all times.
To ensure that, in the event of an emergency, employees can be evacuated from the building quickly and without difficulty and that a fire can be extinguished as quickly as possible, the following critical systems must be in good working order at all times:
- Fire Department Access Road
- Partitions
- Fire and Smoke-Resistant Doors
- Emergency Exits & Exits
- Escape Routes, Lighting, and Signage
- Fire Extinguishers, Riser Pipes, and Wall-Mounted Hydrants
- Water-based fire suppression systems, sprinkler systems, spark-extinguishing systems, and gas-based fire suppression systems
- Fire Safety & Alarm Plan
- Storage of Hazardous Substances + Labeling
- Fire Alarm System, Fire Control Systems, and Fire and Smoke Ventilation System
- Smoke and Heat Exhaust Systems
- Electrical Installations
There are a number of other inspection points and requirements: From the physical separation of individual buildings and rooms to fire barriers such as smoke and fire doors, all critical points in the event of a fire must be inspected. The effort required for the inspection generally increases with the size of the company.
Therefore, companies should have a sufficient number of fire safety officers and fire safety assistants. As a rule of thumb, about 5% of employees should be trained as fire safety assistants.
The digital fire safety log as a central documentation tool.
A fire safety logbook is used by fire safety officers to professionally manage internal inspections at the workplace and to thoroughly document all results of the regular inspections. The fire safety officer is required to maintain this logbook.
Contents of the Fire Safety Manual:
- Internal Audits (when, where, by whom)
- Training and Instruction (Content, When)
- Regulatory inspections (when were they conducted? Were any deficiencies identified?)
- Fire Safety Inspections
- Defect Reports (what defects, defect categories, severity)
- Actions (what actions were taken, when and by whom the issue was resolved, duration)
- Near-Fires (Causes and Measures Taken to Prevent Them)
- Audits (correcting identified deficiencies, reviewing reports)
Unlike the traditional method of documentation using paper, pen, and a clipboard, digital tools offer an efficient way to speed up the process and, above all, ensure it is legally compliant.
Using a mobile app, the fire safety officer can quickly and easily create a digital checklist for all inspection items. This checklist is available at any time on a smartphone or tablet and can be used during routine checks and inspections. This eliminates the “paperwork” associated with checklists and inspection reports. Upcoming inspections can be scheduled in advance with a due date and assigned to an employee. This ensures that safety-related inspections are never forgotten again.
In addition, there are other benefits:
- Changes only need to be made in one place; there’s no more need for the tedious process of printing and distributing copies
- No media breaks—thanks to integrated camera modes, photos and videos can be uploaded and edited directly within the app
- Defect reporting directly in the app—additional information such as severity and defect categories helps ensure efficient processing and resolution.
- Automated Report Generation for Fire Safety Inspections
- Central overview of all checklists and self-inspections
- Significant time savings in documenting and analyzing the results, since all data is analyzed at the push of a button
Below, we present three different use cases where digital tools—such as mobile checklist software—can be of enormous help.
1. Inspection of Fire Extinguishers
Mobile checklist apps also simplify the inspection and documentation of fire extinguishers: They allow users to complete checklists for inspecting specific fire extinguishers easily and paperlessly on mobile devices (smartphones or tablets).
For planning purposes, all fire extinguishers in the building can be entered individually as inspection items, and the corresponding checklists can be added. The checklist does not need to be created multiple times; it simply needs to be assigned. Different types of fire extinguishers are easily entered and inspected as variants of the inspection item.
Completed inspections are automatically stored in the system in an audit-proof manner and can be retrieved at any time. This makes it possible to verify at any time—as part of audits or safety inspections—whether the fire extinguishers have been properly maintained or if an inspection is still pending. Since all inspections are uniquely assigned to a specific fire extinguisher, you can always be sure that all fire extinguishers have been inspected.
2. Inspection of Fire Doors
Fire doors must also be inspected regularly and thoroughly. No single detail should be overlooked, because in an emergency, that very detail could determine whether the door fulfills its purpose or not.
However, not all fire doors are the same, which is why checklist apps allow you to create and easily manage multiple versions of checklists. This ensures that each door undergoes exactly the inspection it requires.
But what should you do if a fire door is actually damaged? The issue is noted in the checklist, and you can quickly and easily add a photo right in the app. The issue is then assigned directly in the app to the appropriate employee—and that’s it! The inspection is complete, and the repair has already been delegated!
Ideally, the door manufacturer will also use the checklist software. This allows you to ensure that the manufacturer is immediately and transparently informed of the defect and can resolve it. Thanks to the digital defect documentation and the accompanying photos, the service call can be planned precisely, and the necessary replacement parts can be brought along.
Digital data collection has yet another advantage over paper inspection reports: the inspection data becomes analyzable. This allows manufacturers and customers to work together to develop improvements for the doors—all based on the completed checklists, which are stored digitally.
No matter how fire doors are inspected—what matters most is their functionality. In an emergency, this functionality saves lives and protects your property. With digital checklists, safety inspections can be easily and comprehensively documented digitally.
3. Evacuation Drills
Digital tools can also be helpful when conducting fire evacuation drills. Evacuation drills should be held once a year. During these drills, the building is quickly evacuated, and all employees gather at the assembly point.
The fire safety assistants, who are informed in advance, typically time these drills. The time can then be recorded on checklists. This way, the results of the evacuation drill are immediately available in digital form.
“Deficiencies” can also be recorded in advance. For example, if signage is missing or a fire door is left open or wedged open, this can be recorded. Or if materials are placed or stored in front of an emergency exit, this violates safety precautions and can be recorded directly as a “deficiency.” This also ensures that no information is lost and that responsibilities are clearly defined.
Conclusion
Using digital checklists instead of paper checklists not only eliminates the fire hazard posed by paper files but also makes regular inspections easier. Digital tools help you keep your checklists up to date, manage them centrally, and significantly reduce the time spent on documentation.
If you’d like to implement digital fire safety documentation throughout your entire operation—from recurring inspections and defect tracking to legally compliant documentation—beyond just the fire safety log, you’ll find an overview of all the features on our digital fire safety page.
About Testify EHS
Testify EHS is the checklist software for digital occupational safety and health. With pre-designed, standards-compliant checklists for voluntary self-inspections as part of preventive fire safety, you have the perfect tool for regular inspections. With features tailored to your needs, you can save a significant amount of time during inspections and when addressing deficiencies, and you’ll also have all your data immediately available. Learn more at Testify EHS.
Sources: TÜV Austria / Fire Safety; Business Services Portal / Fire Safety; Safety Xperts / Evacuation Drill
