What is a Fire Safety Audit?

A fire safety audit is an examination of your business premises and a fire safety inspector will provide you with relevant documents to see how your premises are being managed in terms of fire safety. When visiting your premises, a fire inspector may talk to your employees to get their understanding of fire safety and awareness to which they should be trained too. The visits for a fire safety audit are usually prearranged, and the audit will include checking what processes and documentation that you have already in place and advise you accordingly. A legal requirement is to have a ‘responsible persons’ for a building, for example, the owner, manager or health and safety officer, have responsibility to ensure that the fire safety regulations are upheld. Failing to comply with this, can earn the business owner large fines or even a prison sentence. When it comes to fire safety, being prepared for a fire is better than having any form of damage control.

What can I expect from a fire safety audit?

Completing a thorough inspection of any commercial business, a fire safety audit is a thorough inspection of any non-residential premises. It will be carried out by a fire safety inspector, sometimes the official title can vary. As mentioned, the audit could involve talking to employees about their understanding of the fire safety procedures in your premises. The necessary documentation can include:

A fire risk assessment
Records of any fire drills and staff fire training
List of dangerous substances in the premises
Proof that the fire prevention systems have been regularly maintained and tested
Documentation detailing what to do in the event of a fire including any fire evacuation procedures.

Depending on your business the amount of documentation can vary dramatically. From an IT company, to a chip shop, every business is unique. No matter the industry, every office design needs to incorporate the latest fire safety and prevention methodology. Our advice will be to look up your local fire safety laws and get up to date with any recent changes that may affect your business. This will help you get ahead of the game and ensure that you are following to the letter.

What happens after a fire safety audit?

Depending on the score following the outcome of your audit, depends on what happens next. If the fire safety officer finds a complete breach of the fire safety regulations, it is up to the fire safety inspector about how they respond. If the matter is of a serious nature, the officer can issue an enforcement notice. This notice will set out a strict deadline for when the work has to be completed by. The officer can use emergency powers to restrict the use of the building until the problems have been resolved. If the mistake is minor, they may take a more informal approach by discussing the mistakes with you and the responsible persons to rectify it straight away. If you are unsure how safe your business is, it maybe worth booking a fire safety check with Cooke & Bern to get all the relevant documentation, and we will be able to advise you on fire safety systems that maybe of use to your business. Get it sorted out before it becomes a major problem to you and your employees! Find out more about us — we are committed and dedicated to fireproofing all business types