Fire and Life Safety, Codes, and Standards
Fire and life safety questions test whether you recognize egress, protection, and alarm features and report them without certifying code compliance.
Egress
Egress includes exit access, exits, and exit discharge. Look for blocked or locked exits, excessive travel distance, dead-end corridors, unlit exit signs, emergency lighting, panic hardware, stair width, handrails, and doors requiring excessive force. Exit signs must be visible and illuminated; emergency lights need test records.
Protection systems
Sprinklers (wet, dry, pre-action), standpipes, extinguishers, alarm panels, pull stations, horn/strobes, smoke dampers, fire doors, and firestopping at penetrations are all relevant. Note sprinkler control valve status, spare heads, and obstructed heads. Class A extinguishers are typically within 75 feet travel; Class B within 30 to 50 feet depending on hazard.
Compartmentation
Fire-rated walls, floors, and shaft enclosures; fire door gaps and self-closers; and suite separation matter. A propped fire door defeats the rating.
Worked example
A 250-occupant assembly tenant has one 36-inch exit door, a second exit through a stockroom blocked by pallets, and an unlit exit sign. Reasoning: report the blocked exit and unlit sign as immediate life-safety concerns; the stockroom route may not qualify as a compliant exit. Recommend the fire marshal or code official evaluate. Do not calculate required egress width for the occupancy.
Traps
Declaring an occupancy classification without plans; assuming sprinklers equal code compliance; missing fire door and damper deficiencies; and treating extinguisher tags as proof of current condition.