Common Fire Safety Mistakes That Put Buildings at Risk

Open Discussion
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Fire safety is often overlooked until an emergency occurs. However, many fire incidents can be prevented by identifying and addressing common fire safety mistakes before they become serious hazards.

Some of the most frequent issues found during fire risk assessments include:

  • Blocked or poorly maintained fire exits

  • Inadequate staff fire safety training

  • Faulty or outdated fire alarm systems

  • Missing or expired fire extinguishers

  • Improper storage of combustible materials

  • Overloaded electrical sockets and extension leads

  • Lack of regular fire safety inspections

Building owners, employers, and responsible persons should regularly review their fire safety procedures and ensure that all fire protection measures remain effective and compliant with current regulations.

Questions for Discussion:

  1. What is the most common fire safety issue you encounter during inspections?

  2. How often should businesses review their fire risk assessments?

  3. What practical steps can organizations take to improve fire safety awareness among employees?

Share your experiences, recommendations, and lessons learned to help create safer workplaces and buildings for everyone.

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The thing I run into the most during inspections is blocked or messy egress. You’ll see boxes or carts shoved in exit areas and stairwells, exit signs that are burned out or missing because no one’s checking every 30 days like NFPA 101, 7.10.9.1 says, and exit doors that dump into blocked areas with dumpsters, fences, or locked gates. All that breaks NFPA 101, 7.1.10.1, which basically says your way out has to stay clear 24/7, because when there’s an emergency people can’t afford to play obstacle course.

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This is a really good line re: keeping egress paths clear!

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There’s also the classic broken magnetic door holder that staff decide to “fix” by inserting a doorstop and then forgetting about the issue. Maybe door holders should be required to be Class B supervised because of this.