Who checks fire detection and firefighting systems?
Qualified professionals perform required checks; management schedules them, keeps reports and follows defects.
Extinguishers, hose reels, alarm panels, sprinklers, pumps, emergency lighting and smoke control do not all have identical requirements. The programme depends on the building, equipment and competent authority instructions.
The owners’ committee should receive reports, know the next due date and verify correction. A sticker does not replace a required report, and a visual look by an unqualified person is not a professional inspection.
Safety, insurance and privacy cannot be managed by an operational decision alone. The purpose, risk, qualified professional and relevant approval should be recorded, access to information restricted and the validity of inspections and cover checked.
Three points to check
- Fire-system inventory
- Qualified provider
- Reports, certificates and defect tracking
Official and professional sources
These links are provided for further reading. Always check the authority’s website for the latest version and instructions.