A GUIDE TO SAN FIRE BUSINESS INSPECTIONS
Business Inspections are required to be completed once every six months. Failure to complete these inspection to be in receipt of a fire safety certificate - or violation of the fire code - can result in formal warnings, civil monetary fines and potential cease & desist orders as outlined in 'Chapter 14 Enforcement and Sactions' of the San Andreas Fire Code. These fire inspections not only keep your business safe, but also keep you and your customers safe by making sure the safety equipment is well-maintained and that the property is up to code. In this release, we will walk you through what a Fire Marshal will be watching out for & the reasons why.
The Inspection
During a business inspection or reinspection, attending Fire Marshals will be looking for various things throughout the property. These include sprinklers, fire extinguishers, fire alarm bells and fire exits. We'll be covering how these affect your business & how they should be correctly placed throughout the property.
Fire sprinklers are usually ceiling-mounted and attached to the waterpipes throughout the building. On detection of a fire, these will activate and sprinkle water in a 15 foot radius to suppress the fire. There is no minimum or maximum you can have, but it is best to have them spread evenly throughout the property. If there is an area where a fire sprinkler cannot be mounted due to structural issues, a fire extinguisher should be placed instead. Please refer to Chapter 7 of the San Andreas Fire Code for more information on sprinkler systems.
Fire extinguishers should be placed where there is no fire sprinkler coverage. If you own a club or a bar venue, make sure there is one on the stage & also behind the bar. Please refer to Section 801 of the San Andreas Fire Code for all areas where a portable fire extinguisher is required in relation to other businesses other than the aformentioned example.
There are various types of fire extinguishers used for different scenarios:
Water & Class A Extinguishers are used for solids, paper & fabric fires.
Class B Extinguishers are used for petrol, diesel and oil fires.
Class C & CO2 Extinguishers are used for electrical fires.
When inspecting the fire extinguishers, a Fire Marshal will ensure that the safety pin is secure, check the expiration tag date and that the pressure gauge is in the green. The ideal pressure is 185-195 PSI. Fire Extinguishers can last up to 12 years with maintenance. Section 803 of the San Andreas Fire Code will explain fire extinguisher maintenance regulations. You can visibly check the extinguisher for any dents, missing parts or visible damage. Once the a Marshal has inspected the fire extinguisher, they will write on a green tag & attach it to the extinguisher to show that it has been sufficiently checked. Business owners do not need to test that an extinguisher works.
When there are fire exits in your building, they need to be clearly marked with illuminated signage. The doors need to be checked that they can be fully opened and that they are completely unobstructed in cases of a fire.
Fire alarm bells are bells that are loudly heard throughout your property to alert you to any fires that have been detected. There should be enough fire alarm bells throughout your property so that it can be heard no matter where you are in the property, taking into account how many rooms are in the property across however many floors. These should be wired into a fire alarm panel to be able to be utilised.
Per fire code section 1010, fire alarms cannot be automatic or dialled in to an emergency services number without prior written authorisation from the Fire Chief of the Los Santos Fire Department.
There is a variety of optional fire safety equipment that your business can utilize. These include:
Fire axes
Fire hoses (must remain unobstructed and hose undamaged)
Ceiling Fire Detectors
A variety of fire & fire equipment signage
Please make sure to review the Fire Code here in case your business requires any specific safety equipment - such as kitchens requiring a Halon systems based fire suppression system listed in Chapter 9 - and to learn more about the regulations of the above equipment in more detail.
Conclusion and how to request
In conclusion, fire inspections are an essential part of the health & safety of running a functioning business. They are not only required by law, but also help keep your business and clientele safe! To book a fire inspection for your business, please head on over to our business portal Here.
