30/10/2022
By Satish Reddy | Reading time 5 mins
How important are checklists?
Important enough that they can
- Save lives in operating rooms
- Prevent accidents in industries
- Helps students ace exams
- Empower sports champs in training routines
- Investment professionals to pick the right securities and so on
Charlie Munger, Berkshire Hathaway’s vice chairman and right-hand man of Warren Buffet swears by checklists when picking investments.
Atul Gawande, an American surgeon, writer, and public health researcher wrote a book on how using checklists reduced errors in the operation theatres and saved lives.
This philosophy can be applied to any area. I’d like to talk about how checklists are used in Fire Safety industry.
In the past year, nearly 1.3 million fires were reported in the U.S., which resulted in thousands of deaths and injuries, as well as billions of dollars in property damage and loss. Suffice it to say the need for fire safety inspections is clear. These should be performed periodically, with the goal of
- identifying potential fire safety hazards,
- mitigating any risks,
- and improving any existing fire safety efforts as needed.
That all begins with a proper fire safety inspection checklist. Fire inspections ensure that all fire safety standards are being followed and that all fire safety equipment is in good working order.
Fire marshal inspections are a critical part of fire safety, and proper fire safety is necessary for commercial businesses to operate with a lower risk of potential issues. Fire inspections include checklists that detail what needs to be checked and tested, as well as the actual inspections themselves, and the fire inspection report that is generated based on the safety check.
There are several aspects to a fire safety inspection, from simple fire alarm inspections to a fire extinguisher check, a check for fire safety hazards, and what organizations are doing to reduce their risk of fire and related incidents.
What Should a Fire Inspection Checklist Include?
There are several elements that a fire marshal’s inspection checklist will cover, from clearing the exits to manually testing alarm systems and everything in between. Some common checklist items include:
- Ensure all exists are free of obstructions
- Verify all emergency lighting and exit signs are operational and properly lit
- Ensure all door/window hardware and locking devices allow easy entry
- Maintain and service fire extinguishers
- Check water supply in the facility
- Check the organization’s disaster and fire plan
- Check electrical work and electrical hazards within the facility
- Test and tag the alarm system, or have it tested by a licensed company
- Ensure sprinklers are operational
- Validate that the building meets local fire safety standards
Different areas of the Fire Safety industry use checklists that are custom to their needs. For example, a Fire Extinguisher installation/service company has a different checklist than a Sprinkler installation/service etc.
The Fire Inspection Report
Once the inspection has been completed, the fire marshal or other inspector will prepare a fire inspection report. This will list all the information about what was experienced and/or seen during the inspection. It will include details like:
- The inspection date
- The inspector performing the review
- Building type and address
- Dimensions of the building
- Equipment testing results
- Common fire hazards
- Specialty hazards
- Violations and recommendations for improvement
The inspection report is what organizations will then use to improve their fire safety, resolve any violations that were discovered, and ensure that the building is in compliance with all regulations and laws, as well as that all equipment is functional, properly installed, and available in the event of a fire emergency.
Fire Extinguisher Checklist
The Importance of the Fire Inspection Safety Checklist
Ensure safety:
The checklist ensures that every single aspect of fire safety inspections is covered. With a proper checklist, standardized inspections can take place, allowing facilities to ensure that all fire safety hazards are addressed and that the building is prepared for any type of fire emergency.
Meet fire department requirements:
The checklist also ensures that all local, state and municipal fire codes and regulations are always followed.
Make it easy for your techs, use a mobile app to capture Fire Inspection data
Traditionally inspection reports were captured using pen & paper. Modern CRM solutions with mobile friendly apps are best suited for fire safety and inspections and ensure that fire safety is properly addressed and documented. It can auto-generate reports and checklists, and make the entire process simpler, more streamlined, and even more cost-effective. For a deep dive into how you can automate your field service operations check our Field Service Automation Guide.
A CRM with a mobile app can also provide much more useful insights than a human observer, and the CRM side of the platform will ensure that all information stays organized in the database and that fire marshals and other fire safety professionals have access to:
- Fire safety checklists
- Inspection requirements
- Fire safety hazards reports
- Fire department inspection reports
This is in addition to all the necessary tools and resources for managing fire safety services from one streamlined, cost-effective platform.
Learn more or try out a fire safety CRM for your next round of inspections to see what you can gain. Aha Apps works with the Fire Safety industry to automate field service operations. We make it easy for a technician who is perhaps carrying an extinguisher or a bag full of stuff climbing stairs to easily enter information into a mobile app. Our tools are extremely user friendly and help capture data easily. We partner with Resco, their platform is the best of the breed for capturing data in offline mode, imagine techs going into basements where there is no internet connectivity. This is where Resco’s tool outshines in such scenarios and helps techs work seamlessly.
Schedule a demo to see this in action.
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