Avoiding Disaster: Common Fire Safety Violations in Commercial Buildings

Just like any other type of disaster – you cannot predict when or if a fire will breakout in your commercial building or property. That is why preparing your business for fire safety in buildings and facilities is key.

Did you know that more than 100,000 fires occur annually?

While the frequency of commercial fires has decreased slightly over the last few decades, the actual cost of fire-related property damage has skyrocketed. It’s estimated that fires in commercial properties cost owners over 2.4 billion dollars per year. Shockingly, 52% of the larger fires occurred in a building that did not have smoke detectors present or functioning.

Fire Safety in Commercial Buildings

Fire safety is essential in the workplace in order to prevent and protect against the destruction caused by fire. Everyone is responsible for preventing fires in the workplace – employers and employees alike. Fire safety in commercial buildings should include creating a plan and training efforts to reduce the risk of fires in the workplace and help employees respond quickly and efficiently in case of emergency.

If you want to prevent fire hazards, you need a fire safety plan to address building fire safety. The single best way to eliminate fires is to eliminate the risk of fires. And for that, you need an effective fire safety plan.

What is a Fire Prevention Plan?

A fire prevention plan outlines all the appropriate fire safety protocols. It also documents every potential fire hazard your workplace may deal with. That might sound daunting at first, but you have to remember that keeping that list will help you avoid the potential hazards on that list.

What are potential consequences of commercial fire safety violations?

If your commercial building encounters fire safety violations, your business could be subject to fines. In addition, daily operations might have to be shut down until the violations are addressed. The worst consequence from commercial fire safety violations could be the potential death of employees or customers.

Understanding Fire Safety Regulations

In order to minimize the possibility and effects of fire, there are several different agencies responsible for establishing fire safety regulations commercial buildings. The purpose of these agencies and their commercial building fire safety requirements are all in place to protect building occupants and property.

Examples of these agencies include:

1. National Fire Protection Association (NFPA): The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) is a global self-funded nonprofit organization, established in 1896, devoted to eliminating death, injury, property and economic loss due to fire, electrical and related hazards.
2. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA): OSHA’s mission is to ensure that employees work in a safe and healthful environment by setting and enforcing standards, and by providing training, outreach, education and assistance. Employers must comply with all applicable OSHA standards. They must also comply with the General Duty Clause of the OSH Act, which requires employers to keep their workplace free of serious recognized hazards.
3. United States Fire Administration: As an entity of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the mission of the U.S. Fire Administration is to support and strengthen fire and emergency medical services (EMS) and stakeholders to prepare for, prevent, mitigate and respond to all hazards.

Common Fire Safety Violations

Building owners are subject to a variety of local fire codes. These codes are enforced through inspections by the Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ), which can include the local fire marshal, building inspector, or other code official.

These commercial building fire safety requirements and inspections provide the backbone of fire prevention in your business and help to ensure safety in your building and others. The purpose is to identify problems with your fire protection systems so they can be remedied before a fire occurs. Some of the most common fire code violations found during inspections include:

Blocked Emergency Exits

An exit route is a continuous and unobstructed path of exit travel from any point within a workplace to a place of safety. An exit route consists of three parts:

• Exit access – portion of an exit route that leads to an exit.
• Exit – portion of an exit route that is generally separated from other areas to provide a protected way of travel to the exit discharge.
• Exit discharge – part of the exit route that leads directly outside or to a street, walkway, refuge area, public way, or open space with access to the outside.

How many exit routes must a workplace have?

Normally, a workplace must have at least two exit routes to permit prompt evacuation of employees and other building occupants during an emergency. More than two exits are required, however, if the number of employees, size of the building, or arrangement of the workplace will not allow employees to evacuate safely. Exit routes must be located as far away as practical from each other in case one is blocked by fire or smoke.

Exception: If the number of employees, the size of the building, its occupancy, or the arrangement of the workplace allows all employees to evacuate safely during an emergency, one exit route is permitted.

Faulty Fire Doors

Anything that could prevent the door from closing and latching properly during an emergency condition such as propping the door open with objects, taping the latch, using wood wedges or kick-down door stops, or overriding the closing device, is a violation of the standards. If they are to be effective, fire doors must be not only closed but also held closed. Building fires are capable of generating pressures sufficient to force fire doors open if they are not held closed with enough latching force, thereby rendering the doors incapable of protecting the opening in which they are installed and potentially allowing the fire to spread to an adjacent space and beyond the compartment of origin.

Inadequate or Outdated Fire Extinguishers

NFPA 10 Standard for Portable Fire Extinguishers requires that all portable fire extinguishers be inspected and tested on a regular basis. The most common violation found with fire extinguishers is that they are overdue for testing and recharge, which is indicated by an expired fire extinguisher inspection tag. You can remedy this by assigning one or more personnel the task of performing the monthly inspections required for fire extinguishers. With regard to their testing, this requires the skills of a professional.

Poor Electrical Wiring

To prevent an electrical fire, learn to recognize the warning signs that indicate a possible wiring or electrical problem. Contact a licensed electrician immediately to examine and repair electrical problems if you experience any of the following issues:

• Flickering or dimming lights
• Switches or outlets that are hot to touch and/or emit an acrid odor
• Discolored cords, outlets and switch plates
• Repeatedly blown fuses and tripped circuit breakers

Lack of Fire Alarm Systems or Sprinkler Systems

A fire alarm system is a crucial part of the fire and life safety of a building and its occupants. When a fire breaks out in your facility, the alarm and sprinkler system play an essential role in controlling the spread of flames before they cause extensive damage. Not only can fire sprinklers save employers thousands of dollars, but they also save lives. For these reasons, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issues a number of regulations that require employers to maintain their fire sprinklers.

OSHA’s regulations are there to ensure companies and employers are protected against fire hazards, but if an employer fails to comply with the regulations, there are consequences. Fire sprinklers system that don’t meet the safety standards articulated by OSHA not only put a facility and employees at risk, but they are also subject to various fines and citations.

Overloaded Electrical Outlets

Did you know that overloading a circuit can cause a fire? When too much electrical current flows through the wires, it can cause them to heat up and potentially ignite any flammable materials nearby. Additionally, overloaded circuits can cause overheating wires, which can also ignite nearby materials. In fact, electrical fires caused by overloaded circuits are one of the leading causes of house fires in the United States.

The Role of Regular Fire Safety Inspections

Fire inspections play a critical role in ensuring the safety and well-being of both people and property. Regular inspections are essential for maintaining compliance with local fire codes, identifying potential fire hazards, and ensuring that fire protection systems are functioning effectively.

The importance of regular fire safety inspections include:

1. Complying with Fire Codes and Regulations
2. Identifying and Mitigating Fire Hazards
3. Ensuring the Effectiveness of Fire Protection Systems
4. Improving Safety and Awareness

Basically, regular fire inspections provide peace of mind for business owners, property managers, and occupants. Knowing that your building or property is in compliance with commercial building fire code and that potential hazards have been addressed can offer a sense of security and confidence in the safety of your commercial environment.

The Role of Professional Restoration Services Post-Fire

Should your commercial property suffer damage from a fire, your first call should be into your insurance company. The second call should be to a professional fire damage restoration company – like BMS CAT.

We have the experience to handle all aspects of your fire damage restoration service needs – from mitigation to restoration to reconstruction. Our goal is to get your business back to normal operations as quickly as possible to minimize business interruption.

Our team members boast the training, skills and equipment to get the job done right the first time. Contact us today for any fire damage restoration needs.