I often notice “trends” in the buildings I am inspecting for Fire Code compliance. It is interesting because these trends can vary depending on the state of society, economic conditions, current government/politics, major events, and many other factors. Sometimes they are good “trends”, and sometimes they are bad.  

The whole world has undergone a very “challenging” time (to say the least) due to the pandemic, altering the state of society for quite a long time. I have noticed trends from a Fire Code compliance perspective that appear to have been created/exacerbated because of this long-term, abnormal event. Unfortunately, some of these trends are not a step in the right direction. 

Now that Canada is opening up and returning to normalcy, building owners would be proactive and wise to do a fresh review of their Fire Code compliance and fire safety practices. A “fire safety health check”, so to speak. 

Fire Safety Health Check

Here are a few examples of things that building owners should think about in relation to how the pandemic situation has impacted fire safety in their building: 

• Fire Safety Training: Who’s doing what? What do we need to know? What are my fire safety responsibilities? A focus on fire safety training amongst all staff needs to be brought back into the normal operating procedures of buildings. This includes bringing people together and discussing their responsibilities, addressing their concerns, and practicing fire safety as a cohesive group.
• Inspections/Tests/Maintenance: How are your fire protection and life safety systems doing? Are they working? Have any changes in your building impacted these systems? Fire protection systems may have been neglected or overlooked for quite some time. 
• Staffing Shortages/Staff Turnover: Are fire safety responsibilities (including physical maintenance of systems) getting missed due to internal and external shortage of employees/contractors? Has staff turnover affected fire safety expectations and responsibilities in a fire emergency?
• Storage Practices: There are requirements for where general and hazardous storage is permitted. These requirements are specific and stringent. Building owners had to shift focus during the pandemic and proper fire safety storage practices may have been put to the back of mind.
• Exits/Egress: The pandemic caused a rethinking of access, egress and movement of people in general. How are these critical escape routes being maintained? Being able to evacuate a building during an emergency (exiting) is arguably the most fundamentally important life safety system in any building.
• Changes in Floor Layouts: Were these done hastily without adequate regard to fire and life safety standards? Was a review conducted and the proper processes followed? Businesses had to make quick changes to floor layouts that may not have given due regard to Fire Code/Building Code compliance.
• Changes in Occupancy: What has changed in the building from a “use and occupancy” perspective? If there have been changes, was it done right and in accordance with applicable law? Unfortunately, many businesses have had to close because of the pandemic. Conversely, new businesses were created which may have completely different occupancy classifications than the previous one. These changes can have drastic Fire Code/Building Code implications and require review as a simple matter of due diligence.
• Fire Safety Plans: Do you require one? Do you have one? If you do have one, does it need to be updated? Was this important aspect of safety planning in your building forgotten or neglected? Reviewing and following an approved Fire Safety Plan will have a direct benefit to all persons in a building and will result in not only reduced liability for business owners, but a safer building in general.

The above outlines a few examples where I have noticed trends of non-compliance and lack of organization/documentation from a Fire Code compliance and life safety perspective. Building owners can benefit in the short term and long term by taking an honest look at the fire and life safety “health” of their building and working to resolve any issues. Taking this approach is an investment in your building and the people that occupy it.  

The frequency and trending of the above noted issues have been observed to have increased in recent times. In many circumstances, the pandemic has unfortunately contributed to these fire safety issues or created new ones.

If there is one thing that can be said after going through the pandemic together as a society, I believe it is honest to say that being proactive with respect to safety and prevention is something that we have all learned is extremely valuable, for so many reasons. The same holds true for fire safety and Fire Code compliance. 

Take an honest, fresh look at your building and the business you conduct from a fire safety standpoint. Are there Fire Code compliance gaps and areas that need attention? As the old saying goes “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure”.