Short essay on Fire Inspections

Fire inspections should be conducted on a regular basis: every month would be appropriate in many facilities. Inspectors look for potential fire hazards and for situations that would cause difficulties if a fire were to occur. The inspectors should have a checklist, which should be customized for the particular facility.

The rooms will be listed in the same sequence the inspector(s) will visit them, and the specific items to be inspected will be those that the room contains (exit lights, electrical equipment, and so on). But, although a customized inspection list is useful tool, it can also be misleading.

Inspectors must be made aware that the list can never be fully up-to- date (equipment and furnishings may be moved around) and that unplanned situations will arise (e.g. refuse or supplies may be stored in an inappropriate and unplanned area).

Thus the best fire inspections will not be carried out in a mechanistic, inattentive way: on the contrary inspectors will be alert for possible unforeseen circumstances.

Preventive Maintenance Procedures:

Fire preventive maintenance procedures are similar to those for fire inspections and are also illustrated. They entail seeing that fire emergency equipments are ready to use. Should a fire emergency occur 9 of course, all equipments should receive preventive maintenance care.

Fire preventive maintenance differs from overall preventive maintenance because fire equipment is not used daily (thus it may break down without anyone knowing) and because on those rare occasions when the equipment is needed. It may be critical. It is necessary to ensure that when maintenance problems are noted.

They are quickly repaired. No doubt this point seems obvious; nevertheless when those doing the preventive maintenance inspection cannot effect a repair on the spot, possibly that need will be duly noted but no one will take action. Policies will be required to ensure that work orders are generated and given the appropriate priority.

It should also be noted that preventive maintenance in general that is on cooking, ventilation, transportation, and other types of equipments-may well have a fire prevention aspect.

A prime example of this is the cleaning of the grease filters in the kitchen equipment hoods. Grease fires burn at 3000″F. much hotter than most other fires-and cannot be extinguished with water (in fact water will make the situation considerable worse).

A Some Potential Fire Hazards:

1. Bottled gas cylinders improperly supported.

2. Flammable laundry solvents kept in unsafe (not approved by underwriters laboratory) containers.

3. Ungrounded electrical equipment.

4. Accumulations of rubbish not removed from building.

B. Some Situations that could make a Fire Emergency More Dangerous:

1. Obstructed stairways.

2. Exit lights out of order.

3. Designated fire exits locked from the inside.

C. Some Fire Preventive Maintenance Procedures

1. Periodically test, check, and recharge fire extinguishers.

2. Check standpipe fire hose for tears, rot, and proper mounting.

3. Test smoke and flame detection devices.

4. Check automatic fire dampers in ducts.