Fire Inspection Checklist

Run this Process Street Fire Inspection Checklist when you're assessing a residential or commercial building for adherence to fire safety regulations.

Intro to Fire Inspection Checklist:

Record checklist details

Review the building access and outdoor premises

Check the exits and escape routes

Assess the electrical systems

Check all emergency lighting

Inspect all fire extinguishers

Test the fire alarm system

Inspect the fire sprinkler system

Inspect the special suppression systems

Review use of heat producing devices and appliances

Assess the maintenance of building areas

Test all smoke and carbon monoxide alarms

Generate and file report

Sources:

Related Checklists:

Intro to Fire Inspection Checklist:

Fire Inspection Checklist - Process Street

In this Process Street Fire Inspection Checklist, we cover how to run a fire safety inspection on a residential or commercial building.

This inspection should be run annually at least. The more regular the checks, the higher the levels of safety provided.

Throughout the checklist, there will be sub checklists for each section to explore a more detailed assessment of the areas.

All information entered into the form fields throughout will be recorded in the template overview tab. This displays the data in a table format with drag and drop columns. You can export this data as a CSV file for internal storage.

You can watch the video below for inspiration.

Fire Inspection-Inspection Ride a Long - City of Arvada

Record checklist details

Use the form fields provided to record information important to the checklist.

Inspector name

Location to be inspected

Address of location

Owner of location

Date of inspection

Governing authority

Review the building access and outdoor premises

Use the sub checklist below to guide your inspection.

1

The building address can be clearly seen from the street
2

The exterior access is not blocked or inaccessible
3

The fire department connection is easily accessible
4

The lockbox is easy to find and contains all necessary keys
5

The fire hydrants are easy to find and not blocked off

Notes on building access

Check the exits and escape routes

Use the sub checklist below to inform your approach.

1

The exit doors are easy to identify, access, and they work
2

The exit doors all open from the inside without keys or specialist knowledge
3

The fire doors are all self closing and latching

Notes on exits and escape routes

Assess the electrical systems

Use the sub checklist to identify electrical areas to inspect.

1

The electrical receptacles all have cover plates
2

The circuits are all properly labelled on all panels
3

There is 30 inches of access in front of each electrical panel
4

Extension cords are not in use for permanent fixtures
5

Any present extension cords are heavy duty and used for small appliances
6

The extension cords are all grounded
7

The power strips all have built in circuit breakers

Notes on electrical systems

Check all emergency lighting

Use the sub checklist to guide your inspection.

1

The means of exiting the building are all appropriately lit
2

The emergency lighting units are all functional
3

The exit signs are all well illuminated and well situated

Notes on emergency lighting

Inspect all fire extinguishers

Use the sub checklist to inform your inspection of the fire extinguishers.

1

There are fire extinguishers within 75 feet of all areas of the building
2

The extinguishers are all visible and readily accessible
3

The extinguishers meet the necessary standards and specialized ones are present also
4

The extinguishers are stored off the floor but not above 5 feet
5

The extinguishers have inspection tags valid from the previous 12 months

Notes on fire extinguishers

Free OSHA Training Tutorial - Portable Fire Extinguishers - Understanding Their Use and Limitations

Test the fire alarm system

It is important to test the fire alarms at least once a year.

Review the records of previous fire alarm tests to make sure that there is a regular recurring process in place for fire alarm testing.

Notes on fire alarms

Testing Fire Alarms - Safe Mission

Inspect the fire sprinkler system

Much like the fire alarm system tests, the sprinkler system should be tested at least once a year.

You should also review the records of previous tests to check for a process.

It is important to note that any storage should not come closer than 18 inches from a sprinkler nozzle as this will impede the effectiveness of the system.

Notes on sprinkler system

Inspect the special suppression systems

Your fire suppression system should be tested at least annually to be sure it is functioning as well as it should be.

You should also review the records for previous tests too.

Watch the video below for an example of a special suppression system at work.

Notes on special suppression systems

Stat-X Fire Suppression System - Animation Video

Review use of heat producing devices and appliances

Use the sub checklist to guide your inspection of heat producing devices and appliances.

1

Only UL-Listed portable heaters should be used, and not permanently
2

Electrical portable heaters should have 36 inches of space on either side
3

Gas-fired heat producing devices requires 36 inches distance from combustables
4

Gas-fired heat producing devices should have vents
5

Light fixtures must have all combustables cleared

Notes on heat producting devices

Assess the maintenance of building areas

Use the sub checklist to guide your assessment of the building areas.

1

Trash and waste should be taken out daily
2

Oily rags or similar materials require disposal in approved metal containers
3

Combustable materials need to be stored securely and orderly
4

Exits do not have combustables stored in their path
5

Any combustable decorations have been treated with fire retardants
6

Interior finishes meet appropriate safety codes
7

Combustable or flammable liquids are all stored in approved containers
8

Compressed gas canisters are secured standing up

Notes on building areas

Test all smoke and carbon monoxide alarms

Make sure all smoke and carbon monoxide alarms are working properly.

Test each one by hand and check that each alarm has two sources of power.

Watch the video below for an example.

Notes on alarms

Home Maintenance & Repair Tips : How to Test Your Smoke Detector - ExpertVillage

Generate and file report

Once the inspection is completed, you can save this checklist as a report.

To do this, click to print the checklist. It should give you the option of saving the checklist to a PDF. This will structure this checklist in a report format and import all of the information you have entered into the checklist.

You can then save that report for your own purposes.

Upload the report in the form field provided.

Final report