Fire Safety Register: What to Record and Why It Matters

A fire safety register is the written record of everything you do to keep your building safe from fire: tests, servicing, training and drills. It is the first thing a fire risk assessor or fire officer will ask to see, and it is your evidence that the checks happen.

Why keep one

Section 18(2) of the Fire Services Acts 1981 and 2003 requires anyone having control of a premises to provide fire safety measures and procedures, and to make sure they are applied at all times. A register is how you show that. Local authorities publish templates to help. Dublin City Council, for example, provides a downloadable fire safety register for businesses.

What to record

• Fire detection and alarm: user tests, servicing visits, faults and repairs.
• Emergency lighting: tests and servicing.
• Fire extinguishers and other equipment: visual checks and servicing.
• Fire doors: checks that they close fully and are not damaged or wedged open.
• Escape routes and exits: checks that they are clear and unlocked.
• Staff training: who was trained, on what and when.
• Fire drills: date, time taken, how it went and what needs to improve.
• Inspections and assessments: fire risk assessments and visits from the fire authority.

How often

The frequency of each test is set by the relevant standard, the manufacturer and your service provider. Your fire risk assessment should list the checks for your building and who carries them out.

Keeping it useful

1. Name one person as responsible for the register, with a deputy.
2. Fill it in at the time of the check, not afterwards.
3. Record faults and what was done about them.
4. Keep contractor certificates with it.
5. Store it where it can be found quickly, on paper or digitally.

Common gaps we look for

Missing drill records, servicing certificates that cannot be found, and training that was done but never written down. All three are easy to fix once someone owns the register.

Safer Solutions reviews fire safety registers as part of every fire risk assessment. See also our fire risk assessment checklist. Call 086 275 9728, email info@safersolutions.ie or request a quote.