Running a business as a uni student

If you are a building owner or a business operator, you should have a fire safety compliance audit performed in your structure or premises. The compliance audit is crucial because it helps you ensure that you are meeting your legal obligations to protect your tenants, employees and customers from the dangers of fire. If you are planning on commissioning a fire safety audit of your building for the first time, here are the most critical issues about which you should be concerned during the investigation. 

Evacuation Planning 

Your building or business premises should have a written evacuation plan for fire emergency incidents. This program should be reviewed annually to ensure that it matches any changes to the space or new processes. In general, the document should record the right evacuation coordination processes in the event of a fire. There should also be an appointed coordinator registered in the plan to ensure that the instructions are followed. The material should also provide a suitable method for delivering the evacuation instructions during the emergency. Additionally, there should be precise details on the operation of the fire protection equipment.

Protection Equipment Maintenance

Almost all commercial buildings have excellent fire protection equipment and tools. However, the installation of these features does not guarantee safety during an emergency. In simple terms, if you set up fire extinguishers, sprinklers and alarms in your building but neglect them, they might not function during your hour of need. For example, the valve controlling water flow to the sprinklers can fail, or the extinguisher might have leaked and become useless. Therefore, you must inspect and maintain the systems to ensure proper functionality and avoid injuries and property damage during fire incidents. Moreover, you should remember that the fire safety compliance audit will assess this aspect to ensure preparedness. 

Housekeeping Practices

Proper housekeeping is essential for a building to meet the local fire safety regulations. If your structure is untidy and poorly maintained, the risk of fire will be higher because there will be more hazards. Also, irresponsible cleaning practices can interfere with efficient evacuation if a fire does occur. In general, you should ensure that there are no flammable materials or hazards such as chemicals, fuel and bare electrical wires exposed around your premises. In addition, there should be no tripping hazards on the exit routes or blockages around exit doors and fire protection equipment. 

For more information on fire safety inspections and professional guidance, you should consult with your local building inspection service.