Fire Audit Periodicity in India: When Industrial Premises Should Review Fire Readiness
The scheduling of fire audits is often due to the expiring of a certificate, an upcoming inspection, or a compliance deadline. However, for a factory, fire preparedness ought not to be something that one would look into only when it comes to paper work.
Facilities keep changing. Their production lines get upgraded, their machinery gets updated; their chemical stockpiles get replenished, their storage spaces get bigger and electrical demand increases. All of these factors have potential effects on the fire risk of the factory.
This poses a key question for factory owners as regards fire preparedness – how often should one conduct the audit of their facilities' fire preparedness?
The answer does not always apply to all types of buildings equally. It is a function of some factors including type of facilities, occupancy, height, fire load and others.
Is There One Fixed Fire Audit Frequency in India?
Fire-safety norms in India include the National Building Code (NBC), fire regulations in states/localities, industrial-specific norms and any conditions that can be laid down by the competent authority. As per the Ministry of Home Affairs, NBC 2016 Part IV contains exhaustive fire and life safety guidelines and the states are requested to incorporate these guidelines in their local building bye laws.
This is because the industry needs to be aware of the fact that there cannot be a one-size-fits-all auditing cycle for all industrial buildings.
The recent BIS draft of the new National Building Code suggests that fire and life safety audits of buildings above 15 meters height should be carried out once in every two years, preferably by a third party auditor with sufficient experience in such audits. However, this is a draft norm and cannot be considered to be a universal guideline for all industrial facilities.
For an industry, the logical approach would be to ascertain the requirement and follow a risk-based schedule for audits.
When Should an Industrial Facility Consider an Audit?
Fire safety audit frequency must take into account issues of compliance and risk.
It may be time to conduct a new audit when:
There has been a major change in production or process layout.
New combustible or hazardous materials have been introduced.
Fire-load levels have increased.
A new building, warehouse or production block has been added.
Fire detection or suppression systems have been modified.
There has been a fire, near miss or significant incident.
Previous audit observations remain unresolved.
There are changes in applicable fire regulations or licence conditions.
Insurance or customer requirements call for an updated assessment.
Waiting for the next scheduled audit after a major change can leave a facility exposed during the period in between.
Why Periodic Reviews Matter
The Bureau of Indian Standards defines the fire safety system of India's industries as a system which involves standards and codes for design, installation, and maintenance of fire protection, firefighting, and life safety systems. It further emphasizes the need for development of standards in the face of changes in technology and risks involved in industries.
In simple words, compliance cannot be achieved once and for all.
Fire protection system which was sufficient five years back may not be as efficient after:
production capacity has doubled,
warehouse storage has increased,
combustible materials have changed,
electrical demand has risen, or
a new process has introduced additional hazards.
Regular reviews help identify these gaps before an emergency exposes them.
What Should a Fire Audit Examine?
A proper fire audit is more than just checking whether extinguishers are installed on the premises.
Based on the type of facility, one may consider reviewing:
Fire detection and alarm systems
Fire extinguishers and hydrant systems
Sprinkler and suppression arrangements
Fire-water storage and pumping systems
Emergency exits and evacuation routes
Fire doors and compartmentation
Electrical and ignition hazards
Fire-load distribution
Emergency response arrangements
Inspection and maintenance records
Training and emergency drills
The objective is to understand whether the systems installed at the facility are actually capable of supporting a safe response during a fire.
Choosing the Right Fire Safety Auditor
The accuracy of the audit will be largely determined by the expertise and independence of the risk management firm.
A competent auditor of fire safety should have the ability to comprehend not only the fire protection equipment but also the process of the facility, occupancy, risks, contingency planning, and requirements.
For high risk industrial facilities, firms should consider hiring auditors with the following expertise in:
Manufacturing
Warehousing and logistics
Chemicals and petrochemicals
Pharmaceuticals
Power and utilities
Process industries
A checklist-based inspection may identify a missing extinguisher. A competent risk assessment should also ask why the hazard exists and whether the overall protection strategy is adequate.
Fire Readiness Should Be Continuous
One way of thinking about fire safety audit periodicity is by distinguishing between formal audits and day-to-day fire safety management.
In the interval between formal audits, facilities should keep track of:
Fire equipment inspection and maintenance.
Emergency exit accessibility.
Fire pump performance.
Alarm and detection-system functionality.
Housekeeping and combustible-material accumulation.
Emergency drills and employee preparedness.
Closure of previous audit observations.
This creates a continuous feedback loop rather than making fire safety a one-off or cyclical documentation process.
Chola MS Risk Services’ Fire Safety services encompass fire safety audits, fire risk assessments, fire load calculations, fire water network analysis, and other fire and life-safety assessments for those who want to conduct a systematic evaluation.
A Risk-Based Approach Makes More Sense
The question often asked is “When will I have my next audit?”
However, it might be wiser to ask, “Have there been any changes in circumstances that may increase the fire hazard?”
This could make all the difference.
An office building which is low-risk and a chemical processing plant should not necessarily go through the same review process. Also, a factory which has expanded its operations shouldn’t simply wait for its next audit period.
In the case of industrial organizations in India, the periodicity of fire safety audit should be guided by the relevant regulation and the facility’s risk profile.
The idea is not to merely churn out another audit report.
It is to ensure that when the time of crisis arrives, the facility will be ready.
Compliance with fire safety norms in India is just a first step to being fire ready.
