What are a business’s fire safety duties between maintenance visits?

As a business owner or facilities manager, you will already know that regular fire alarm maintenance is essential for ensuring your systems remain compliant, reliable, and fit for purpose. However, keeping up to date with your scheduled maintenance visits is only part of your responsibility.

The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 states that every workplace must have a designated ‘Responsible Person’. This individual is legally responsible for managing fire safety on a day-to-day basis. If an incident occurs between scheduled maintenance visits, it is still the responsibility of the business to demonstrate that it has taken reasonable steps to maintain a safe environment.

In this blog, we'll explain the key fire safety checks and responsibilities that businesses should carry out between maintenance visits.

Daily Fire Safety Tasks: A Quick Walkthrough

These quick visual checks should form part of your opening or closing routine. They take very little time but are an important first line of defence.

• Keep escape routes clear: Check that all corridors, stairwells and fire exits are completely free from obstructions such as stock, equipment or delivery boxes.

• Check fire doors: Ensure fire doors are fully closed and never propped or wedged open. Fire doors are designed to slow the spread of fire and smoke, but they cannot do this if they are held open.

• Ensure signage is visible: Make sure all emergency exit signs and directional signage are clearly visible and not obstructed by displays, furniture or stored items.

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Weekly Fire Safety Tasks: Test and Record

These checks should be carried out every week and recorded in your company's fire safety logbook.

• Test your fire alarm: Carry out a weekly fire alarm test at the same time each week, using a different manual call point each time to ensure the full system is operating correctly.

• Check final exit doors: Confirm that all final exit doors can be opened quickly and easily from the inside without the use of a key.

Monthly Fire Safety Tasks: Equipment Checks

• Inspect fire extinguishers: Check that every fire extinguisher is in its designated location and securely mounted. Ensure the safety pin is in place, the tamper seal is intact, and the pressure gauge remains within the green zone.

• Test emergency lighting: Simulate a power failure by switching off the main lighting circuit and confirm that all emergency lighting and illuminated exit signs operate correctly.

• Check first aid kits and assembly points: Ensure first aid kits are fully stocked and that your designated fire assembly point remains safe, accessible and free from obstructions.

Staff Training and Fire Drills

Your employees should understand exactly what to do in the event of a fire.

• New starter inductions: Every new member of staff should be shown the fire alarm points, escape routes and assembly point on their first day.

• Fire evacuation drills: Conduct a full evacuation drill at least once a year. Record the evacuation time along with any issues or lessons learned in your fire safety logbook.

While routine in-house checks help maintain fire safety on a day-to-day basis, they should always be supported by regular fire alarm maintenance.

At Commfire, our certified maintenance engineers carry out comprehensive inspections, system testing, preventative maintenance, accurate documentation and prompt remedial work to help ensure your fire alarm system remains compliant, reliable and ready to perform when it matters most.

Whether you manage a commercial property, residential block, educational facility or industrial site, proactive maintenance is key to protecting people, safeguarding property and meeting your legal fire safety responsibilities.