10 Fire Safety Mistakes You Didn’t Know You Were Making – And How to Fix Them
Fire safety is something most businesses and property owners take seriously, yet many unknowingly make mistakes that put people and property at risk. These mistakes can range from overlooked maintenance, improper documentation, and non-compliance with regulations to complacency in training and preparation.
Fire safety is not just about meeting legal requirements—it’s about creating a culture of awareness and responsibility that protects lives and assets. A small oversight can escalate into a catastrophic event, making it crucial to identify and address these issues before they become a real danger.
From poor fire extinguisher placement to neglecting passive fire protection, these common mistakes can have severe consequences. Fortunately, with the right preventative measures and modern fire safety technology, businesses can significantly reduce their risks and improve compliance.
Here are 10 common fire safety mistakes and how to fix them.
Table of Contents
1. Ignoring Fire Doors
Fire doors are crucial for containing fire and smoke, yet they’re often propped open or blocked. This compromises their effectiveness and can allow fire to spread rapidly.
Fix: Ensure fire doors are always closed or fitted with compliant hold-open devices that automatically release in the event of a fire. Regularly check fire doors for damage and functionality. Installation and maintenance of fire doors can also be recorded in the FireArrest App, ensuring compliance and accurate documentation.
2. Skipping Regular Fire Risk Assessments
Many businesses fail to conduct or update their fire risk assessments, leaving them non-compliant and vulnerable to fire hazards.
Fix: Conduct regular fire risk assessments at least annually or whenever there are significant changes to the premises. Keep documentation updated and ensure corrective actions are taken. All fire protection documents can be stored on the FireArrest App, which also keeps a record of when risk assessments are made, ensuring compliance and easy access to historical data.
3. Poor Fire Extinguisher Placement & Maintenance
Having fire extinguishers isn’t enough—they need to be accessible, suitable for different fire types, and properly maintained.
Fix: Place fire extinguishers in clearly visible and easily accessible locations. Regularly inspect and service them according to regulations. All fire extinguisher maintenance can be recorded and photographed in the FireArrest App, ensuring a detailed history of inspections and compliance tracking.
4. Overloading Electrical Sockets
Too many appliances plugged into one outlet can overheat wiring and cause electrical fires.
Fix: Avoid daisy-chaining extension leads and ensure high-wattage appliances have dedicated sockets. Have an electrician check your wiring if in doubt. Any work carried out by trade professionals to increase fire safety can be recorded on the FireArrest App, ensuring compliance and a clear record of safety improvements.
5. Lack of Employee Fire Training
Employees who don’t know evacuation procedures or how to use fire safety equipment can put lives at risk.
Fix: Conduct regular fire safety training, including evacuation drills and basic fire extinguisher use. Make fire safety part of the onboarding process for new employees. Refresher training should be conducted periodically to reinforce knowledge and ensure employees stay updated on best practices. Additionally, training should cover the correct reporting procedures for fire hazards and the use of fire safety technology such as the FireArrest Fire Safety App to log training sessions and track compliance.
6. Neglecting Passive Fire Protection
Fire-stopping measures such as fire-resistant walls, ceilings, and sealing of service penetrations are often ignored.
Fix: Ensure all penetrations (such as cables and pipes passing through walls) are properly sealed using certified fire-stopping products. Use software like the FireArrest Passive Fire Protection App to document and manage passive fire protection compliance. If any fire safety work is carried out by trade professionals, it can be recorded on the FireArrest App to ensure full compliance and traceability.
7. Not Keeping Fire Exits Clear
Blocked or locked fire exits can prevent safe evacuation, leading to fatalities in an emergency.
Fix: Regularly inspect fire exits to ensure they are unblocked and functional. Signage should be clear, and emergency lighting should be checked frequently. Always make sure any trade professional is documenting any inspection or installations, and the FireArrest App is the best place to do it, ensuring a comprehensive and compliant fire safety record.
8. Failure to Maintain Fire Alarms & Sprinklers
A malfunctioning fire alarm or sprinkler system can mean the difference between a contained fire and a disaster.
Fix: Test fire alarms weekly and schedule professional inspections in compliance with fire regulations. Sprinkler systems should be maintained and tested regularly. Recording all fire alarm and sprinkler maintenance on the FireArrest App can help ensure compliance, provide a detailed history of inspections, and make audits easier.
9. Inadequate Fire Safety Documentation
Failing to document fire safety measures, inspections, and incidents can lead to legal and insurance issues.
Fix: Keep up-to-date records of fire risk assessments, maintenance logs, fire drills, and training sessions. Using a digital fire safety management system can streamline this process. All of this can be recorded on the FireArrest App, ensuring accurate documentation and easy access to compliance records.
10. Underestimating the Role of Fire Safety Technology
Many businesses still rely on outdated, paper-based systems for fire safety management, which increases the risk of errors and non-compliance.
Fix: Adopt modern fire safety technology, such as the FireArrest App, to document, manage, and track all fire-stopping installations and safety checks in one place.
Final Thoughts
Fire safety isn’t just about compliance—it’s about protecting lives and property. By avoiding these common mistakes and taking proactive measures, you can improve fire safety in your workplace or property.
If you’re looking for a smarter way to manage fire safety compliance, FireArrest can help streamline documentation and ensure all fire-stopping work is properly recorded. Get in touch today to learn more!
