Here’s the five most common reasons buildings fail a fire inspection, and what you can do about each one.
1. Blocked or Inaccessible Fire Equipment
Extinguishers stored behind boxes, hose reels blocked by furniture, hydrant booster connections buried under seasonal storage –Â it happens more often than you’d think.
Fire equipment needs to be visible, clearly labelled, and accessible at all times, not just during inspections. A quick walkthrough of your building every few months goes a long way toward keeping this in check.
2. Missing or Incomplete Logbooks
Your logbook is the paper trail that proves your building is being properly maintained. If it’s missing entries, hasn’t been updated after recent service visits, or can’t be located at all, that’s an immediate red flag during an inspection.
Make sure your logbook is on site, up to date, and reflects every service visit, defect identified, and repair completed.
3. Fire Doors That Don’t Close or Latch Properly
Fire doors are one of the most critical passive fire safety measures in any building. They’re designed to contain fire and smoke –Â but only when they’re closed.
A door that’s been propped open, doesn’t latch correctly, or has a damaged closer is a compliance issue and a genuine safety risk. Regular checks to make sure every fire door is functioning as it should are a non-negotiable part of building maintenance.
4. Damaged or Non-Functioning Exit and Emergency Lighting
Every exit in your building needs to be clearly lit and operational. Damaged fittings, flat batteries, or lights that haven’t been tested are common inspection failures that are easy to prevent with routine checks.
If your emergency lighting hasn’t been tested recently, add it to your next maintenance checklist.
5. Overdue Annual Inspections
If your building’s annual fire system inspections haven’t been completed, you’re already non-compliant before an inspector sets foot on site. Sprinkler systems, hydrant and hose reel testing, fire pump inspections, and fire indicator panel checks all need to be completed and documented on an annual basis.
Staying on top of your inspection schedule is the single most effective thing you can do to keep your building compliant year-round.
At FESSA, we don’t just show up once a year and hand you a report –Â we make sure you always know where your building stands and what needs attention before it becomes a problem.
If any of the above sounds familiar, or you’re not confident your building would pass an inspection today, get in touch with our team.