Philippine Society of Mechanical Engineers
Room 401 Don Lorenzo Bldg., #889 P. Paredes St., Sampaloc, Manila
PSME ALERT # 2018-01
FIRE PROTECTION CHECKLIST
Required exit doors are to be fitted with public safety
The Philippine Society of Mechanical Engineers’ (PSME) Fire hardware. Exit doors must open from the inside at all times
Protection Technical Division is publishing this “PSME Alert” to help without a key by a single hand downward/pushing motion on
the public avoid fires. a single device.
Exits and paths of travel are to be kept clear at all times.
To ensure that the building fire protections are working properly, No non-approved or secondary locking devices are to be
owners, facility managers and occupants are advised to use the fitted to exit doors.
following checklist. Fire and/or Smoke doors (if installed) are to remain
unobstructed, maintained with door and frame compliance
E-mail
[email protected] to request clarification about the checklist. tags in place and function as designed.
1. FIRE-RATED CONSTRUCTION 7. MAINTENANCE RECORDS
Is fire-rated construction maintained? Stairwell Pressurization: To be tested by an appropriately
Walls, shafts, fire stops, shaft enclosures, partitions and qualified person every 3 months, maintenance and test
floors are repaired, restored or replaced when damaged, results to be recorded in a log book.
altered, breached, or penetrated? Mechanical Ventilation: To be tested by an appropriately
Are fire doors and smoke barrier doors not blocked, open or qualified person every 6 months, maintenance and test
made inoperable? results to be recorded in a log book.
Do fire doors close from the full open position and latch Standby Power Supply: To be tested by an appropriately
automatically? qualified person every 6 months, maintenance and test
results to be recorded in a log book.
2. FIRE PROTECTION SYSTEMS Emergency Lift: To be tested by an appropriately qualified
Has the required annual service of the fire sprinkler system person every 12 months, maintenance and test results to be
been performed in the last year by a qualified sprinkler recorded in a log book.
contractor?
Never paint any fire sprinkler head part 8. HOUSEKEEPING (all buildings)
Never hang anything from any part of a fire sprinkler system Fire Exit Stairway: Ensure fire exit stairways are kept clear
Never stack items close to fire sprinklers at all times with no items placed or stored within them. Fire
Always report damages to any part of the fire sprinkler Doors are not to be chocked open and must function as
system designed.
Always make sure control valves supplying water to the Storage: Ensure any flammable, combustible, hazardous
system are in the open position materials or any other products don’t accumulate causing a
Ensure pressure gauge indicate the working system fire risk. Items stored in the building must not interfere or
pressure. obstruct paths of egress or installed fire safety systems.
Sprinkler systems must be tested, and maintenance records Combustible rubbish: Is combustible rubbish that is stored in
kept on a monthly basis. containers outside of vaults or rooms removed from the
Are all fire detection, alarm, and extinguishing systems building a minimum of once each working day?
inspected tested and maintained in accordance with Oily rags storage: Are oily rags or similar materials stored in
reference standards? metal, metal‐lined or other approved containers equipped
Portable fire extinguishers NFPA 10; with tight‐fitting covers?
Carbon dioxide fire-extinguishing system NFPA 12; Combustible decorations: Are combustible decorations
Dry-chemical extinguishing system NFPA 17; flame retardant?
Wet chemical extinguishing system NFPA 17A;
Sprinklers NFPA 25; 9. EVACUATION PLANS & PROCEDURES
Fire alarm NFPA 72; Is there a fire and evacuation diagram displayed?
Water mist systems NFPA 750; All premises should have an evacuation diagram in place &
Clean agent extinguishing system NFPA 2001 displayed prominently and printed in photo luminescent
Are records of all inspections, test, and maintenance of fire paper.
protection systems available for the past 3 years? Evacuation Diagrams must show: “You Are Here”, Date
Are valves controlling the water supply for automatic created/reviewed, Muster/Gathering Point, Fire Equipment,
sprinkler systems and water-flow switches on sprinkler Exits and Orientation (e.g. North, street name and orientated
systems electrically supervised? correctly in line with building floor plan)
Are fire extinguishers in conspicuous locations, readily All commercial visitor accommodation (Boarding Houses,
accessible, and immediately available for use? Not Hostels, Hotels and short stay accommodation), are to have
obstructed or obscured from view? an evacuation diagram prominently displayed in each room.
Type of extinguisher should be appropriate to the main risk Multi story buildings with fire stairs and exits to display
in the area it is installed. e.g. Dry Chemical Powder, CO2, evacuation diagrams on each floor.
Water, Wet Chemical, Foam, Vaporising Liquid, Kitchen fire. Evacuation diagrams to be reviewed 12 monthly and after
any certifiable building alterations.
3. FIRE SUPPRESSION SYSTEMS FOR SPECIAL HAZARDS
Storage: Is the top of storage maintained a minimum of 18” For systems that work in conjunction with one another like “Automatic
below sprinkler head deflectors in fire‐suppression areas? Fire Suppression System” (AFSS) and “Fire Detection and Alarm
Commercial Kitchen Hood Suppression System: In System” (FDAS) or FDAS and “Smoke Heat Evacuation and
commercial cooking applications, has the hood suppression Ventilation System” (SHEVS), it is important to test them together to
system been serviced in the last 6 months and is the hood improve the odds of preventing catastrophic fire incidents.
cleaned at intervals to prevent the accumulation of grease?
PSME strongly advise tapping consultants or experts in the conduct
4. FIRE HOSE of a fire safety audit.
Installed Fire Hose must be tested/checked by an
appropriately qualified person every quarter, tag in place A highly recommended safety practice is to have employees take
and current. turns sweeping the building for fire hazards daily. An ounce of
Area around fire hose to be kept clear and unobstructed. prevention is worth a pound of cure.
5. FIRE HYDRANT & HYDRANT BOOSTER SYSTEMS PSME for public safety.
Are the hydrant & hydrant booster systems maintained?
Hydrants are to be tested/checked tag in place by qualified FIRE PROTECTION TECHNICAL DIVISION
person every 6 months. Philippine Society of Mechanical Engineers
If hydrant booster pumps are installed, they are to be tested Tel: (02) 736-2043, Call/Text: 0917-550-0002
monthly and maintenance records kept. E-mail: [email protected]
Hydrant systems to be hydrostatically tested every 5 years. Web: psme.org.ph/firepro
6. FIRE EXITS
Are exit doors fitted with Public Safety Hardware?
