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Testing And Inspecting Emergency Equipment
It is a good idea to have a central logbook that you keep on site with records of all your safety equipment checks and maintenance records. If you are inspected by the Fire Authority you can hand this over to easily demonstrate the steps you have taken to ensure your fire safety equipment is in working order. This is the best way of demonstrating your compliance with the current fire safety legislation.
Please be aware that it is an offence to knowingly record false information in such a logbook.
You can download various Logbook Forms for recording your fire safety equipment testing and maintenance at the bottom of this page
During inspection or testing of any type of fire safety equipment, it is important that any malfunction should be recorded and actively followed up and rectified. When carrying out tests, check that any problem recorded at the previous test has been dealt with.
Fire Safety Equipment
Inspection and Testing of Fire Extinguishers
- Inspect at least once a month to check properly located, not discharged, not damaged, etc. This can be done in-house.
- Check at least annually by a 'Competent Person', which should be a trained representative of the manufacturer or suitably qualified contractor.
- All fire extinguishers need to be tested by discharging them at set intervals. These intervals vary with the type of extinguisher and are as follows:
Water Extinguishers (stored pressure or gas cartridge type) - every five years
Foam Extinguishers (stored pressure or gas cartridge type) - every five years
Powder Extinguishers (gas cartridge or stored pressure valve types) - every five years
Carbon Dioxide Extinguishers - every ten years* for the first twenty years of service and thereafter every five years
Powder Extinguishers (stored pressure primary sealed) - as for Carbon Dioxide above
* If the extinguisher is subject to a full annual inspection from the beginning of its service, the first discharge test can be extended to twenty years, followed by ten years then five thereafter.
Fire Safety Equipment
Inspection and Testing of Fire Alarm Systems
- Before testing your fire alarm system, always ensure you have warned any neighbouring businesses who may be linked to your fire alarm system or affected by your test, and alert the alarm monitoring company if you have one.
- Check the control panel daily for normal function and power
- Activate the fire alarm by a different call point each week
- When the fire alarm is activated, check that any fire doors linked to the fire alarm system are operating properly (ie do they close when the alarm is activated?)
- Quarterly and annual inspections by a suitably qualified engineer, or a specially trained member of your own team.
Fire Safety Equipment
Inspection and Testing of Emergency Lighting
- Daily check that any maintained units you have are lit, and that any system faults are dealt with urgently
- Monthly check of all lighting by simulating a loss of power, to ensure all bulbs are working. This could be by using a 'fish key' if your system has this facility, or via a fuse box, etc.
- Six monthly test of system by simulating loss of power, for a period of at least one hour
- At least once a year a suitably qualified service engineer should check the entire emergency lighting system, including discharge for the full specified duration of your units. Maintained emergency units should last for 3 hours, and non-maintained units for 2 hours
Fire Safety Equipment - Door Maintenance
- Monthly check on all fire doors to check that they close on their own when released, and that they form a tight seal against the door frame. No holes in doors or large gaps above or below doors
- During monthly inspections check that all necessary fire exit and fire door signs are in place
- Monthly check on all fire exit doors to ensure they are easily opened, all opening/closing mechanisms are fully functioning, and that doors can be fully opened without obstruction. Check also that doors or exit routes are not obstructed by anything
- Any automatic fire doors that are linked into the fire alarm system should be checked at the same time as the fire alarm system
- If you have lots of fire doors it is a good idea to have a maintenance contract set up to ensure they are kept in good working order
Fire Safety Records - Staff Fire Training
All new staff should have fire safety training at least twice in their first month of employment. This will include action in the event of a fire, emergency evacuation procedures and anything else of relevance contained in the Emergency Plan or Fire Risk Assessment.
Thereafter staff should have training every six months, or if they are night workers, every three months.
Download Logbook Record Forms Here
Fire Extinguishers Template Form - Record of Testing and Inspection
Fire Alarm Systems Template Form - Record of Testing and Inspection
Emergency Lighting Template Form - Record of Testing
Fire Doors Template Form - Maintenance Record
Fire Safety Training Record Form
