What to Look For Fire Wise

on a Building Survey

Questions you should ask yourself when

carrying out a building survey

Surrounding area

1. Type of buildings that surround the property.

2. Is there a risk?

3. Will the fire service be able to gain access to the building?

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External

4. Can you see any form of fire alarm? If so, ask the owners/occupiers does it work and has it been checked regularly?

5. Consider the basic structure and the affect this would have on the fire rating.

Roof Covering

6. Does the roof covering have an affect? Is it thatched, is it timber shingles (timber tiles).

Internally (from top down)

7. Roof void are the fire walls present to compartmentise the building?

8. Signage and lighting can you see signage and lighting? Is it a green man kicking an ice cube or the old red signage (the red signage being a warning sign)?

9. Does it have smoke or heat detectors or both, or you cannot tell the difference?

10. How is it managed (for example if it's a hotel with a 24/7 reception then what requirements occur?

Services

11. Have services been added to the property that have broken through the fire walls and compartmentisation?

12. Are the electrics dated?

Think of the costs implications of all the above.

Thanks to Beryl Menzies for helping put this summary together. Beryl Menzies is a Chartered Building Surveyor and has been President of the Association of Building Engineers.