The fire safety responsibilities of apartment and estate management: extinguishers, fire cabinet maintenance, escape routes and periodic inspection.
In an apartment or housing estate, fire safety is largely the responsibility of the management, not of individual flats. Keeping the equipment in common areas, maintaining it and keeping escape routes clear is a legal obligation. In this article we have compiled the fire safety duties of apartment and estate management.
What is management's responsibility?
The Regulation on Fire Protection of Buildings (Official Gazette: 19.12.2007, no. 26735) places the duty of keeping fire safety systems and equipment operational and having them periodically maintained on the building owner, manager or responsible building official. In other words, the fire safety of common areas is a task the management must track.
Fire extinguishers: keeping and inspection
Common areas must have fire extinguishers of the right type and number. Periodic inspection and maintenance of extinguishers is done to the TS ISO 11602-2 standard; dry chemical powder extinguishers are refilled and serviced at least once every two years. We explained this in detail in our extinguisher inspection frequency article.
Fire cabinet and installation
Buildings above a certain size have a fire cabinet and installation. Having fire cabinets and hose-reel systems periodically maintained to the TS EN 671-3 standard is mandatory for the building owner/manager. In practice, cabinets are checked at least once a year.
Escape routes and stairs
Escape routes, stairs and emergency exits must always be clear and accessible. One of the most common mistakes is placing items/materials on escape routes or in front of fire cabinets. Depending on its height, the building may need a fire escape.
Periodic maintenance and records
Management's most practical assurance is a regular maintenance schedule: the last inspection/refill date and next maintenance time of each item are recorded. This way safety is maintained and documents are ready in a possible audit. We explained this tracking in our periodic maintenance schedule article.
Where to start?
The healthiest start is to assess the suitability of the existing equipment and escape routes with an expert. To see your estate's or apartment's fire safety status, you can request an on-site survey and receive the shortcomings in writing. Note: because requirements vary by the building's type and size, the final assessment is made on site.