Fire safety checklists are excellent tools used to inspect for potential risks and fire hazards that can be mitigated to avoid serious injuries, workplace deaths, and property loss. As important tools during fire safety checks, fire safety inspection checklists help safety officers develop the best possible fire safety plans for workplaces.
This article will briefly discuss 1) importance of fire safety checks 2) 3 key elements of an effective fire safety plan and 3) free mobile fire safety checklists which you can download and customize to help develop solid fire safety plans.
Importance of Fire Safety Checks
In 2017 US Fire Loss Report, the U.S. National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) reported that there were around 1.3 million fire incidents and an estimated 3,400 civilian deaths due to these unfortunate occurrences.These incidents easily destroyed properties, caused injuries, derailed livelihoods, and took lives.
To prevent fire incidents, fire safety checks are key strategies to keep fire risks at bay. With the use of fire safety inspection checklists, regular fire safety checks help comply with national fire codes. Fire code violations do not only lead to serious penalties, but they also reflect the management’s level of commitment. Fire safety checks also help in building vital data for developing appropriate safety measures for the building fire safety plan.
3 Most Important Elements of an Effective Fire Safety Plan
An effective fire safety plan is the sum of its parts, and its important to understand each of those parts and ensure that they are well-integrated into the plan. Each element contribute in minimizing fire risks and helping fire safety officers develop fire safety inspection procedures and strategies for the fire safety plan. Here are the three key elements of a fire safety plan:
- Fire Prevention
The best fire fighting measure is prevention. It is important that workers are trained on fire safety in order for them to develop heightened awareness about fire hazards. They should be knowledgeable about emergency procedures and the operation of fire protection equipment. Fire risk assessments are also necessary as they provide insight on which hazards are present and the necessary measures to manage their risk. Safety officers can utilize fire safety checklists to conduct comprehensive checks of these aspects of the fire safety plan.
- Fire Fighting
Fire safety plans should include regular inspections of equipment for active fire protection (AFP), such as fire alarms, fire extinguishers, fire sprinkler systems, and smoke detectors, to ensure they are functional at all times. Safety officers and facility engineering teams must carefully plan and design the appropriate fire fighting and protection system as this is the first thing the people will rely on in case of an incipient fire.
- Emergency Evacuation
Although individuals can fight incipient fires with fire fighting equipment, the management should still put importance on how to safely evacuate the people during a fire emergency. Everyone should know the emergency evacuation plan, which includes contact details of safety authorities, emergency exit map, and other fire emergency protocols. To measure knowledge of emergency evacuation plans, fire safety plans should also include regular fire drills to ensure readiness.
Build a solid fire safety plan with iAuditor
iAuditor, the world’s best fire inspection software, can help safety officials and building owners streamline their fire safety inspection procedures and strengthen compliance to national fire safety codes. Safety officers can use this free fire inspection software to:
- Eliminate paper trails and convert fire safety checklists into smart, digital checklists
- Automate regular fire safety inspections and setup push notification reminders
- Immediately see common fire safety plan lapses and issue corrective actions
- Save time and easily input date by scanning fire safety equipment barcodes
- Organize fire safety equipment records and easily retrieve them through iAuditor’s secure cloud storage
- Sign off fire safety inspection checklists for quicker verifications
- Auto-generate complete fire safety inspection reports and instantly share them with key decision makers
This collection of digital fire inspection checklists offer a wide range of use: (1) performing site safety inspections (2) fire risk assessments (3) fire protection systems and equipment checks, and 4) fire drill plan checks; and (5) creating fire incident/investigative reports.
Get started by browsing these free fire safety checklists and customize them according to your fire inspection needs.
