3. Walk through the property as it is normally used

Take a sensible, non-technical walk-through with a person who knows the site. Include areas that may be overlooked during ordinary office hours: storerooms, deliveries, workshops, shared corridors, outside storage, service yards and rooms accessed only by contractors.

Look for crowded storage, combustible waste, damaged fixtures, obvious electrical concerns, blocked ventilation around equipment, or work activities involving heat or flammable materials. Note where an issue is found, who needs to investigate it and whether an immediate safe action is possible.

For example, cardboard boxes stacked against a regularly used exit can be moved to an appropriate storage area. A damaged electrical distribution board is different: keep people away if necessary and arrange suitable professional assistance. Do not open panels, bypass protective devices or dismantle fire-protection systems as part of a self-check.

4. Check access, escape routes and exits

Walk the routes people would need to use to leave the building, including shared passages and the final exit to a safe outside area. Check that stored goods, deliveries, furniture or temporary works are not blocking those routes. Notice doors that are difficult to open, damaged signs, poor visibility or gates that may restrict movement.

For workplaces, South Africa's General Safety Regulation 13J addresses fire precautions and means of egress, including keeping relevant exit doors and escape routes clear and readily usable. Whether the design, number and configuration of exits are suitable for your particular building requires a proper assessment. Do not treat a quick walk-through as approval of the escape arrangement.

If an exit appears blocked or unusable, address the immediate obstruction safely and report any design, locking or structural concerns. Detailed evacuation planning, staff roles and drills are separate tasks that deserve their own review.

A fire-safety assessment is easier to carry out when the person assessing your premises can see how the building is used, which records are available and which concerns have already been noticed. For a South African shop, workshop, office, guesthouse or commercial property, preparation does not mean trying to pass an inspection by tidying up for one day. It means understanding the premises, dealing with obvious risks and making sure the right information is ready for professional review.

You do not need to become a fire-safety specialist to make a useful start. You do need to know where everyday observations end and technical assessment begins. The checklist below helps business owners and property managers prepare for a professional fire-safety audit or assessment without mistaking their own walk-through for formal approval.

What is a fire-safety audit or assessment?

A fire-safety assessment examines relevant risks, protective measures and conditions at a particular premises. Its scope may depend on the building, its use, the occupants, the activities undertaken and the reason the assessment was requested. An assessment commissioned by an owner is not necessarily the same as an inspection conducted by a municipality or another authority.

A professional may consider building layout, fire hazards, escape arrangements, equipment, records and matters requiring further technical investigation. The purpose of preparing is to make that review more productive and to help you act on what it finds—not to predict the outcome or obtain a particular certificate.

South African fire-safety duties do not come from one universal checklist. The Occupational Health and Safety Act and its regulations may be relevant to workplaces, while national building requirements, applicable municipal by-laws and conditions attached to a particular property can also matter. Ask a competent professional or the relevant authority which requirements apply to your premises.

1. Identify who is responsible for the premises

Start by identifying the owner, employer, tenant, managing agent and anyone responsible for day-to-day building operations. Their duties and access to information may differ, especially at leased or multi-tenant properties.

Choose one person to coordinate the assessment, arrange access to relevant areas, gather documents and record follow-up actions. Where a building has several occupiers, agree who can provide details about shared passages, plant rooms, loading areas and common equipment. Make sure the assessor knows about normal working hours, busy periods, restricted rooms and any activities that may affect fire risk.

2. Collect the documents you already have

Gather existing records rather than rushing to create documents just before a visit. Depending on the premises, useful information may include:

· Previous fire-safety assessments, inspection reports and outstanding action lists.

· Available building plans, occupancy documents and correspondence with the relevant municipality.

· Existing workplace risk assessments and records of changes to building use or layout.

· Service, maintenance and inspection records for installed fire-protection equipment and systems.

· Details of contractors, responsible persons and relevant training records where available.

· Records of reported faults, alterations, incidents or repairs that may affect fire safety.

Not every document on this list is required for every building. Put what you have in one folder, flag what is missing and ask which records the assessor actually needs. A missing document is a question to resolve, not a reason to invent dates, sign-offs or certificates.

5. Review equipment locations and maintenance records

Identify the fire-protection equipment and systems already installed on site. These may include extinguishers, hose reels, detection or alarm systems, emergency lighting and other provisions relevant to the building.

At owner level, the useful questions are straightforward: Is equipment accessible? Is something visibly damaged, obstructed or reported as faulty? Are the available servicing and inspection records easy to find? Have alterations or changes in use been reported for professional review?

Do not test, service, reposition or certify equipment unless you are authorised and competent to do so. A professional can evaluate whether equipment is suitable, correctly installed and maintained under the requirements that apply to the premises. The correct extinguisher type, fire class and technical servicing procedure are separate subjects and should not be guessed from a general audit checklist.

6. Record changes since the previous assessment

Buildings rarely stay exactly the same. A new partition, extra shelving, more staff, a changed tenant, a different manufacturing process or storage of new materials can affect the questions a fire-safety professional needs to ask.

Write down changes since the last review, even if they seemed minor at the time. Include alterations to access, occupancy, electrical installations, equipment positions, storage arrangements and the way rooms are used. If there is no earlier assessment, say so clearly. The aim is to give the assessor an accurate starting point rather than a reassuring but incomplete description.

7. Separate simple fixes from professional decisions

An owner or manager can often organise practical housekeeping improvements, clear an obstructed route and collect reliable records. But other concerns call for specialist input: uncertainty about exit design, altered fire doors, unsuitable equipment, alarm faults, hazardous storage or disagreements about what a certificate or inspection requires.

Keep a short issues log with four fields: location, observation, person responsible and next action. Add a date and supporting photograph where appropriate, but do not photograph sensitive records or restricted areas without permission.

Where there is an immediate danger, do not wait for a future audit before taking proportionate protective action and contacting the right professional or emergency service. Never attempt a technical repair simply to make the site appear ready.

8. Prepare questions for the assessor

A good assessment should leave the responsible people clearer about what was examined and what to do next. Useful questions include:

· What areas, systems and records will this assessment cover, and what is outside its scope?

· Which legislation, standards, municipal requirements or site conditions are relevant here?

· Are there issues that need urgent action, further investigation or a different specialist?

· Which maintenance and inspection records should we retain or obtain?

· Have recent alterations or changes in occupancy affected the assessment?

· How will findings be explained, prioritised and documented?

· If a municipal inspection or formal approval is needed, who is responsible for arranging it?

Ask for plain-language explanations of unfamiliar terms. If a report refers to SANS 10400-T, for example, have the assessor explain why that building-fire-protection reference matters to the specific issue. Alongside national building requirements, applicable municipal fire-safety by-laws may also affect commercial properties and can vary between municipalities such as Overstrand and the City of Cape Town. Ask which local requirements apply to your premises rather than assuming every provision applies identically to every property.

9. Make the day of the assessment productive

Arrange access to rooms, equipment locations and people who understand the building. Tell the assessor about any occupied areas, operational hazards or access restrictions. Have the records folder and issues log available, and allow enough time for questions rather than treating the visit as a quick paperwork exercise.

Be open about known faults and unfinished work. Concealing an issue or producing an inaccurate maintenance record does not make the property safer. If something cannot be checked during the visit, agree how the gap will be recorded and what further information is needed.

10. Act on the findings after the visit

Once the written findings arrive, read them with the appropriate decision-makers. Separate immediate protective measures from work requiring quotations, design input, specialist servicing or consultation with an authority. Allocate each action to a responsible person, agree a realistic completion date and keep evidence of work actually carried out.

Where a finding is unclear, ask the assessor for clarification before choosing a remedy. Keep the report, correspondence and updated records together for the next review. Do not describe the premises as compliant—or the audit as passed—unless a competent person or relevant authority has made an applicable, properly supported determination.

A practical pre-assessment checklist

Before the appointment, ask yourself:

· Do we know who will coordinate access, records and follow-up?

· Have we gathered the existing reports, plans and maintenance records we can locate?

· Have we checked ordinary work areas, storage spaces and shared access routes for obvious concerns?

· Are escape routes and exits free of visible obstructions, with unresolved defects reported?

· Have we listed visible equipment concerns without attempting technical work?

· Have we recorded building or operational changes since the last review?

· Have we noted which questions need an appropriately competent professional or authority?

· Is there a plan to assign, track and verify corrective actions after the assessment?

This is an owner-preparation checklist, not a professional fire-safety audit, legal opinion or certificate of compliance. The right assessment scope and requirements depend on the actual premises.

Prepare well, then get the right advice

Fire-safety preparation works best as an ongoing management habit rather than a once-off scramble before an appointment. Clear access, honest records, realistic observations and follow-through give a professional a better picture of the property and help you make informed decisions afterwards.

Walker Bay Fire Engineering lists fire protection risk and audit assessments among its services. If you would like to discuss an assessment for your property, contact Walker Bay Fire Engineering through its official website and explain the type of premises, its use and the questions you need answered. A professional assessment can then be scoped to the situation rather than assumed from a generic checklist.

Walker Bay Fire Engineering

Protecting your property with fire safety compliance.

walkerbayfire@gmail.com

+27 81 599 8234

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Joubert Siebrits

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