Fire Escape Inspection Report Template

Building Control and safety officials in the modern day strictly monitor the delicate tasks of planning, constructing, and maintaining fire escape routes. In the UK, the Approved Document B Fire Safety covers regulations on fire escape routes and other fire safety features. So, whether you're a home owner, a building manager, a site engineer, or a design architect, you should be aware of these requirements and standards in order. As a result, this ensures compliance and helps to avoid unnecessary penalties, losses, or even serious risks during an actual fire.

Brief Fire Escape Testing Guide

According to the UK Approved Document B building regulations, here are some key tasks that you should incorporate into your testing common practices and operating procedures:

• Regular inspection of escape routes to ensure they remain clear and unobstructed
• Routine testing of final exit doors to confirm they open easily without keys or special knowledge
• Periodic testing of fire-resisting doors on escape routes, including self-closing devices
• Verification of fire-stopping integrity around service penetrations along escape routes
• Condition checks of stairways, ramps, and handrails used for vertical escape
• Testing of emergency escape lighting for operation and required duration
• Inspection of escape route signs for visibility and correct placement
• Examination of external escape stairs and routes for safety, guarding, and structural condition
• Confirmation that travel distances and internal layouts still comply after any building changes
• Review of evacuation routes in relation to occupancy levels and updated fire risk assessments

How Often Do Fire Escapes Need to be Inspected?

In the UK, there is no single fixed interval required for when you need to have your fire escape routes inspected. The Approved Doc. B regulations do not point out explicit time intervals in any official guidelines. However, the Responsible Person (home owner, building operator or manager) is explicitly required to continuously keep fire escape routes maintained, along with other fire safety features. Therefore, whether you need to perform daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, or annual inspections will largely be up to you and your specific conditions.