SUREFIRE SAFETY Free site survey

Compliance

What your building needs, and when.

Answer three questions. We'll show you the servicing schedule the Irish standards expect for a building like yours, and the paperwork a fire officer will ask to see.

1 What sort of building is it?
2 Which systems are in the building?
3 Roughly how big is the fire alarm system?

Devices means detectors, call points and sounders, not the panel.

The standards

Three standards do most of the work.

I.S. 3218

Fire detection and alarm systems. Sets how a system is designed, installed, commissioned and serviced, and how often. The current edition is I.S. 3218:2024.

I.S. 3217

Emergency lighting. Covers where lights and exit signs must be, and the monthly, quarterly and annual tests that prove they still work. Current edition I.S. 3217:2023.

I.S. 291

Portable fire extinguishers. Sets the annual service, the extended service, and when an extinguisher has to be overhauled or replaced.

The duty

Where the obligation comes from.

Who is legally responsible?
Under the Fire Services Acts 1981 and 2003, it is the duty of every person having control of a premises to take reasonable measures to guard against fire, and to ensure the safety of people on the premises in the event of fire. In practice that lands on the owner, the occupier, the facilities manager or the managing agent, depending on the lease. It is not something you can hand over entirely to a contractor: you can delegate the work, but the duty stays with you.
What does a fire officer actually look at?
Usually the fire safety register first, because it tells them in five minutes whether the building is being managed or not. Then the systems themselves: does the panel show a fault, are exit routes clear, are extinguishers in place and in date, do the emergency lights work. Gaps in the register are the most common finding, and the easiest to avoid.
What happens if servicing has been missed?
Catching up is straightforward. The bigger risk is an insurance claim: most commercial policies require systems to be maintained to the relevant standard, and a missed service history is exactly what an insurer will look for after a fire. If you have inherited a building with no records, start the register now and get a survey done so you know what you actually have.

Not sure what you actually have?

We'll survey your premises free of charge, tell you what is installed, what condition it is in, and what the standards require. No obligation, and no charge whether you use us or not.

Book a free site survey Call 01 531 1000