As a maintenance manager, fire protection is a critical part of your preventative maintenance plan to stay compliant, protect your building, and keep your staff and visitors safe. Research shows that commercial building fires cost businesses about 155 million dollars in damage per year. Put proactive practices in place, create a fire safety plan, and ensure that your teams know what to do in an emergency.

As you work to prioritize fire safety here are some of the steps you can take to adjust your maintenance plan accordingly:

• The most common fire safety hazards violations in commercial buildings include blocked exit doors, faulty emergency exit lighting, untested fire alarms and smoke detectors, missing fire extinguishers, not keeping proper records, and more. Stay on top of these areas and ensure that you avoid these risks with regular testing and inspection of these areas.
• Regulations, codes, and requirements are ever-changing, so ongoing online and on-the-job training for your teams can help you stay on top of the requirements for your building.
• Have available online resources for your area handy to reference or for training purposes.
• Schedule technical diagnostics like infrared scans that can help detect potential safety hazards in your electrical system – link to the magazine article
• Create a fire safety plan including emergency protocols, evacuation plans, fire drill information, staff training plans, and maintenance procedures. In Ontario, fire safety plans listed in section 2.8 of the Ontario Fire Code must be inspected by a Chief Fire Official with jurisdiction over the building. This means that you will need to prepare and submit a draft of your plan to your local fire department. For provinces outside Ontario, check with your local and provincial guidelines for specific information about getting approval for your plan.
• Have equipment and measures regularly maintained and tested to remain compliant and confirm they are in working order.
• Studies show that 18 per cent of fires start with electrical or lighting systems, and eight per cent from heating equipment, so inspect these systems regularly and perform recommended and preventative maintenance, along with repairs, to help reduce the risk of fire in these locations.
• Conduct regular walk-throughs with your team to identify potential fire hazards and flammable liquids or gases, confirm fire extinguisher locations, identify electrical panels and equipment, and locate emergency exits so everyone is prepared, should there be an emergency.
• Similarly, set a schedule to identify and test fire extinguishers, emergency lighting, sprinkler systems, fire detection systems, and more.
• Conduct regular fire safety training with your teams.
• Manage your data, from past issues to visits to predicted failure so you have the information at your fingertips when you need it most.

Fire protection is a crucial part of maintaining a commercial building, so stay vigilant with a proactive approach to fire safety.