Fire Safety Checklist for Reopening Your Business: Are You Fire Safe?

Since the beginning of 2020, everyone has faced lockdown and now these restrictions are getting lifted now. Several sectors of industries, offices, restaurants, hotels are returning to their workplaces and most of them are set to reopen over the coming weeks and months.  As these workplaces are getting reopened after months of being under lockdown, every premises owner should make ensure the safety of their premises not only from Covid-19 but from the dangers of fire also.

Regardless of the level of Inspection, testing, and maintenance (ITM) performed during this time, it is imperative that building owners and facility managers verify the performance of all building fire protection and life safety systems prior to reoccupation. To help you with these efforts as you are slowly walking to normalcy, IF&S has developed a list of factors that should be confirmed by a qualified person before re-opening a building to ensure the safety of all its occupants. These checkpoints are based on the assumption that the building was in compliance prior to lockdown, the checklist below provides some initial steps to help ensure that the occupancy is safe enough to reopen until a qualified professional from accompanying like Impact Fire and Safety Appliances Pvt. Ltd. can complete the regularly scheduled ITM of all fire protection and life safety systems.

• Make sure your fire alarm system is functioning, up to date on inspections, and has no trouble, supervisory or alarm signals.
• Be sure your commercial cooking equipment is clean, the suppression system is up to date on inspections and the pull stations are accessible and not physically damaged.
• Check all fire extinguishers. Make sure they are not physically damaged, in the proper places, and not blocked.
• All fire extinguishers have been serviced annually and tagged by a fire extinguisher company within the last 12 months and their needle is in the green zone.
• Verify that all doors are operable, not damaged, and are not blocked for use.  Make sure emergency and exit lights are working properly, that they are visible and properly illuminated.
• Nothing is obstructing standpipes or automatic sprinklers in the building.
• The sprinkler system has a spare kit of sprinkler heads and a wrench.
• Review your emergency and exit plans with all staff. Be sure all exit paths are unobstructed.
• Do not prop open any fire-rated doors.
• Verify that the fire department access is unobstructed.
• All electrical wiring is maintained and is in good shape.
• Hand sanitizers and alcohol-based hand rubs need to be stored and managed safely.
• Any combustible waste materials on the premises are removed.
• All suspended ceiling panels in the business are in place. 
• Be sure your address is visible from the street.

Also, Read-> How to Refill a Fire Extinguisher  | Do You Know How To Use A Fire Extinguisher? |  Fire Extinguisher Parts and Uses