This information should be reviewed prior to the fire safety inspection conducted by the Office of the Fire Marshal at your health care facility. This fire safety inspection will assist you with providing a safe atmosphere for you, your residents and your employees as well as the protection of your facility. Our goal is to educate you and your employees in maintaining a fire safe environment which is one step in leading to a fire safe Howard County.
In order to streamline the process, there are several items that can be corrected prior to the inspection. We have prepared the following list for your review prior to the inspection and for future self inspections.
- Exits - All exits shall be kept clear at all times. Doors shall operate to the fully open position, securely latch when closed and be maintained in proper working order. Panic hardware and door closures shall be maintained in working order. Doors equipped with panic hardware shall not have any additional locks or latches. Exits shall not be locked from the egress side. All magnetic or special locking arrangements need to be approved by the AHJ.
- Exit Signs - All Exit signs shall be illuminated and visible. All exit signs shall be maintained in a clean and legible condition.
- Fire Extinguishers - All fire extinguishers shall be serviced annually by a licensed extinguisher company. Fire extinguishers shall be unobstructed, full, tagged, dated, and the key shall be in place and protected with a plastic seal. The extinguishers shall be mounted, with the top of the extinguisher between 3 and 5 feet in height and the bottom not closer than 4 inches to the floor. Any questions on the type of the extinguisher may be directed to the Office of the Fire Marshal.
- Fire Alarm Systems - Fire alarm pull stations and alarm signaling devices shall be accessible, unobstructed, and visible. Fire alarm systems are required to be fully operational at all times and be maintained, serviced and inspected per NFPA 72 by a licensed fire alarm technician. All service reports shall be reviewed and all deficiencies shall be corrected. A copy of all service reports shall be kept on the premises. A Fire Watch is required for any system Out of Service for more than 4 hours.
- Sprinkler Systems - Sprinkler heads shall not be obstructed, painted, or have articles hanging from them. Sprinkler control valve rooms shall be marked. A 3 feet clearance shall be kept around the valves. Sprinkler systems are required to be fully operational at all times and have a full system inspection annually by a licensed sprinkler technician. The service report shall be reviewed and all deficiencies shall be corrected. The service report shall be kept on the premises. A Fire Watch is required for any system Out of Service for more than 4 hours.
- Fire Department Connections (FDC) – Sprinkler fire department connections consist of all hose connections and control valves used for operating, servicing, testing or supplying water to the sprinkler system. All FDCs shall have signage as designated by the Office of the Fire Marshal. The FDC and its respective signage shall be visible to responding fire department units. A 15 foot clearance (7.5 feet in all directions) shall be maintained around all FDCs. Any obstruction or condition that deters or hinders access is prohibited.
- Emergency Lighting - Emergency lighting shall automatically provide illumination in case of failure of normal lighting. A functional test of the emergency lighting shall be performed at 30 day intervals for not less than 30 seconds and annually for 1 ½ hours. Written records of all tests shall be kept.
- Commercial Hood Systems – The hood’s automatic fire-extinguishing system shall comply with UL300 or equivalent. The filters must be clean. When there are visible deposits of grease in the hood, the entire system shall be cleaned. Commercial hood systems shall be inspected every 6 months by a licensed technician. The service report shall be reviewed and all deficiencies shall be corrected. The service report shall be kept on the premises.
- Storage - All storage shall be 18 inches below the ceiling as well as any sprinkler heads. NO storage shall be placed, or kept in any portion of an exit or an exit stairway. A 36 inch clearance of combustibles shall be maintained around all heat producing devices.
- Electrical panels - All storage shall be kept 36 inches away from all electrical panels. All doors or panels will be latched closed. Blanks shall be placed in open panels. Breakers shall not be taped or held in the on position by any device or made inoperable in any manner. Circuit locks may be used to lock a breaker in the off position. Other devices may be used to prevent a breaker from being turned off but must not interfere with the breaker’s normal operation. Electric rooms shall be marked.
- Extension cords - Extension cords shall not be utilized as permanent wiring. Extension cords shall only be used on a temporary basis. A breaker protected, strip outlet and/or permanent wiring shall be utilized when multiple or additional outlets are needed.
- Multiple strips or extension cords shall not be chained together to form a longer service. All cords and equipment shall be listed by a testing laboratory recognized by the State of Maryland.
- Corridors/Aisles – Corridors and aisles shall be unobstructed at all times. Corridors shall be a minimum of 44 inches where serving an occupant load or 50 or more people. Aisles shall be a minimum 36 inches.
- Housekeeping - The occupancy shall be checked for debris inside and outside. Trash receptacles shall not be allowed to overflow. Where applicable, dumpsters shall be emptied on a timely basis and when required. Accumulations of combustibles are discouraged. Exterior combustible or flammable material, including dumpers, shall not be located within 15 feet of the building, structure, or property line.
- Fire/Smoke Assemblies - All walls, ceilings, and floor assemblies shall be maintained. Wall openings and pipe chases shall be sealed to the classification of the wall. All ceiling tiles shall be in place.
- Displays - Displays, racks, tables, chairs, decorations, etc., shall not obstruct exits, exit signs or fire protection equipment (2 through 7 above).
- Street Address Numbers - Street address numbers should be viewable from the street. The numbers shall be at least 6 inches high on a contrasting background.
All violations deemed by the fire inspector to be an immediate hazard to life safety shall be corrected on the spot.
Per County Code, Howard County Department of Fire and Rescue Services charges for fire inspections, re-inspections and any associated services. You will receive an invoice after the inspection is within compliance and all paperwork has been completed.
This program is important and necessary to safeguard the lives and property of the people we protect. Therefore, we ask for your fullest cooperation in correcting any violations so that together we can improve fire safety.
Questions?
Phone: 410-313-6040