Fire safety inspection checklist (PDF) with 50 checkpoints and defects list
50 checkpoints in nine areas – from escape routes, signs and fire doors to fire extinguishers, alarms, storage, electrics and hot work through to organisation – as a PDF checklist with Yes/No/N/A and a defects list.
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Escape routes must be kept clear at all times, fire extinguishers must be easy to reach and serviced, and fire doors must not be wedged open – only an on-site check shows whether that holds true in everyday work. German law sets no fixed interval for fire safety inspections (Brandschutzbegehungen). The employer must, however, keep escape routes clear (Section 4 (4) of the Workplaces Ordinance, ArbStättV), maintain fire alarm and firefighting equipment (Technical Rule for Workplaces ASR A2.2) and monitor emergency measures (Section 22 DGUV Regulation 1).
The checklist bundles the typical checkpoints in nine areas – based on the Technical Rules for Workplaces and DGUV Information 205-001 “Company fire protection in practice”. Every “No” goes into the defects list so that each finding becomes an action with an owner and a deadline.
What the template contains
- PDF checklist in portrait format (three pages) with header data and columns for Yes, No and not applicable
- Checkpoints on escape routes, safety signs and emergency lighting, fire doors, fire extinguishers and alarms
- Checkpoints on storage of combustible materials, electrical installations, hot work and fire safety organisation
- Separate page with a defects list for 16 entries with location, action, owner, deadline and completion, plus signatures
How to use the template
- 1
Prepare the inspection
Define the area and participants, such as the manager, fire safety officer or fire wardens and the occupational safety specialist (Fachkraft für Arbeitssicherheit). Take along the defects list from the last inspection and the inspection records for extinguishers, the fire alarm system and emergency lighting.
- 2
Check on site
Actually walk the escape routes from the workplace to the assembly point, open emergency exit doors, check that fire doors close by themselves and look at stores, plant rooms and charging points. Tick “N/A” for items that do not apply.
- 3
Remedy defects
Transfer every “No” to the defects list. Acute hazards such as a locked emergency exit are fixed immediately; everything else is given an owner and a deadline, and you check implementation at the next inspection.
Legal basis
- ASR A2.2 nos. 5.3, 7.3 and 7.4: providing and marking fire extinguishers, fire wardens, maintenance and servicing every two years
- ASR A2.3 nos. 4, 7, 8, 9 and 10: keeping escape routes clear, doors, signs, emergency lighting, escape and rescue plan
- ASR A1.3: escape and fire safety signs
- Section 4 (4) and Section 6 (3) of the Workplaces Ordinance (ArbStättV): keeping escape routes clear, instruction on fire prevention and what to do in a fire
- DGUV Information 205-001: company fire protection, storage of combustible materials and hot work
Frequently asked questions
How often must a fire safety inspection take place?
There is no fixed statutory interval. You set the frequency in the risk assessment (Gefährdungsbeurteilung) – depending on the fire risk, the use of the premises and experience from earlier inspections. Conditions in the building permit or requirements of the property insurer may set fixed dates. It is practical to combine the fire safety check with your regular safety walk-rounds.
Who carries out a fire safety inspection?
The employer is responsible. Where a fire safety officer (Brandschutzbeauftragter) has been appointed, carrying out internal fire safety inspections is one of their typical tasks (DGUV Information 205-003). Otherwise managers, the occupational safety specialist or instructed fire wardens carry out the check. The actual inspection of extinguishers, fire alarm systems or emergency lighting remains a job for competent persons.
Does the fire safety inspection have to be documented?
There is no explicit duty to document the walk-round itself. However, the fire safety measures defined (ASR A2.2 no. 7.1) and the results of inspections of fire alarm and firefighting equipment (ASR A2.2 no. 7.4.1) must be documented. The report with its defects list shows that you check and remedy defects – important for the authorities, the statutory accident insurer (Berufsgenossenschaft) and the property insurer.
You may use and adapt the template freely in your own company and for your own clients. It reflects the regulations named as they stand.
Never search a spreadsheet for a deadline again
In AMS Go, what this template covers lives in one system with reminders, history and records at the push of a button – mobile and with AI support.
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