Skip to content

Inspection template in the LeanSuite app

Last reviewed

Fire safety inspection checklist

A fire safety inspection is a monthly check of one building or zone for what decides whether people get out and a fire stays small: exits, alarms, fire doors, what is stored where, and the plan. The 17 questions sit in five sections. Extinguishers get one line here, so give each extinguisher its own monthly check as well.

The EHS lead, a facilities manager or a trained fire warden usually walks it, one record per building or zone. Fire checks drift into a tick-box habit, so treat each question as something to look at, not remember. On the floor, a failed check is a fire exit blocked by stacked pallets in a busy week, a fire door chocked open, oily rags in an open bin beside a grinder, or a hot work job left with no one watching the area afterwards.

What it is for, as built: Monthly check of exits, alarms, fire doors and storage for fire risk. Use it for each building or zone.

Use this template in LeanSuite

The full question list

The 17 questions in the inspection

Every question is answered Yes, No or N/A. Each No is flagged and asks for a photo and a comment, so the finding arrives with its evidence.

Exits and escape routes

  1. 1Exits are unlocked and clear whenever people are working
  2. 2Exit signs are lit and can be seen from the work area
  3. 3Escape routes are marked and lead clear to the assembly point
  4. 4Emergency lighting works when tested

Alarms and detection

  1. 5Alarm call points can be seen and nothing blocks them
  2. 6The alarm is tested as often as required and the test is recorded
  3. 7Smoke and heat detectors are not covered or damaged

Fire doors

  1. 8Fire doors close fully and are not wedged open
  2. 9Door seals and self-closers are in good condition

Storage and ignition sources

  1. 10Flammable liquids and gases are kept in approved cabinets or stores
  2. 11Combustible waste is not building up
  3. 12Hot work permits are used when needed
  4. 13Electrical equipment is not covered or overloaded

Equipment and records

  1. 14Fire extinguishers are in place and their checks are up to date
  2. 15The evacuation plan is posted and current
  3. 16Evacuation drills were held within the required interval
  4. 17The fire warden list is current

Worked example, illustrative

A filled-in example

One section as it might be filled in on the floor, with every other section of the inspection answered Yes. The place and finding are made up to show how the inspection reads and scores.

Result: fail, 88.2% against a pass mark of 90

  • 17 questions, all of them count.
  • 2 answered No, so 15 of 17 are Yes: 15 ÷ 17 = 88.2%.
  • 88.2% is under 90, so the inspection fails.

What happened next: Supervisor fitted a lidded metal bin that shift. EHS lead briefed maintenance on permits before the next hot work job.

Scored here as one point per question with N/A left out. In the app each answer carries the points set on the template, so change them after you clone it if your plant weighs some checks more.

Fire Safety Inspection

Inspection, monthly

Building or zone
Building 2, assembly

Storage and ignition sources

  1. Flammable liquids and gases are kept in approved cabinets or storesYes
  2. Combustible waste is not building upNo
  3. Hot work permits are used when neededNo

    Comment: Oily rags in an open bin beside the grinder in bay 3. Welding repair on the conveyor frame yesterday had no hot work permit on file.

    Photo attached to each No

  4. Electrical equipment is not covered or overloadedYes
Drawn from this template's own questions, not a screenshot of the app. Illustrative answers.

When to use it

  • Once a month.
  • The person responsible for the area or equipment answers each question on the spot.
  • Each record starts with: Building or zone.

How it is scored

The template is built with points per answer and a pass mark of 90. In this library every audit is set to pass at 80 and every inspection at 90. Each submitted inspection shows its score and pass or fail, and every No is flagged with its photo and comment.

Change the points or the pass mark after you clone it. How rules and scoring work.

Read and print

More in safety inspections and audits

All safety inspections and audits templates

FAQ

Fire safety inspection checklist: common questions

  1. Monthly per building or zone as built. Add one after a layout change, when a new flammable store or process arrives, after any fire, alarm activation or hot work incident, after a drill that showed people hesitating, and at peak stock times when exits get crowded. A new supervisor on a zone is another good reason for an unscheduled walk.

  2. The EHS lead, a facilities manager or a trained fire warden, one record per zone. They need the exit plan, the alarm test schedule and a clear idea of where flammables belong. Findings go to the EHS manager and the site manager reviews open items. A blocked exit or chocked fire door is fixed before the inspector leaves the zone.

  3. A fail means people may not get out, or a small fire gets room to grow. Clear the exit, unchock the door, lid the waste bin and stop unwatched hot work right away. Dead emergency lights, missed drills and expired extinguisher checks get an action with an owner and a date. In this template every No is flagged and asks for a photo and a comment, and an inspection that scores under its pass mark of 90 is a fail.

  4. Keep the zone, date, each finding with a photo, the alarm test and drill dates you checked against, and the action that closed each No. The month to month view shows repeat offenders by zone, and you want this history to hand when the fire authority or your insurer asks what you do between their visits. In LeanSuite each submitted inspection is stored with its score, its pass or fail, and the photo and comment on every No.

  5. 17 questions in 5 sections: exits and escape routes, alarms and detection, fire doors, storage and ignition sources, and equipment and records. Every question is answered Yes, No or N/A.

Use this template in LeanSuite

It is ready in the Template Marketplace inside Lean Creator as “Fire Safety Inspection”. Clone it into your plant, change any question, then schedule it to a person, role or asset with reminders. Auditors complete it on a phone or tablet, with photo evidence where required.

Not on LeanSuite yet? On a 90-day pilot our team sets up your account and digitizes the forms and checklists you use today, this one included.

Start a 90-day pilotBook a demo