22 July 2026 · FireWire System Solutions
The items a fire inspector checks first, in the order they check them — and how to be ready before the notice arrives.
Most compliance failures are not complicated. They are small, cheap items that nobody owned. This is the order an inspection tends to run in.
1. Extinguishers — date, type, placement
In date, correct type for the risk, correctly mounted, unobstructed, and within the required travel distance. A correctly serviced extinguisher behind a stack of pallets still fails.
2. Hose reels — run them
Perished hose, seized valves and blocked nozzles are the three faults we find most. None are visible without running the reel out.
3. Escape routes and signage
Photoluminescent signage to SANS 1186, escape routes clear, doors opening in the direction of travel, panic hardware working.
4. Detection and alarm
System serviced, logbook maintained, call points unobstructed, and the panel showing no standing faults.
5. The paperwork
Certificates of Compliance, the asset register, the detection logbook and your evacuation plan. An inspector who is handed a complete file usually stops looking for things to find.