Commercial buildings are inspected for several reasons, so don't be surprised if the building that you own is required to pass a fire inspection before it's sold. During a fire inspection, the building is assessed for any potential safety or fire hazards. While the information provided after an inspection is helpful, preparing for the inspection can be a stressful process. After all, in order for your building to pass inspection, you have to make sure the building is up to code and everything within the building is in working order. To help ensure your building passes its fire inspection, check out these tips.

Prepare for Success

If you want to succeed, you need to be prepared. Set aside some time to speak to the fire inspector before your evaluation. When you talk to the inspector, ask him or her to give you a list of items that you can inspect on your own before the actual evaluation so that you can make sure you have everything in order. Then, schedule a specific appointment time that works well for both you and the fire inspector.

Maintain Your Building's Fire Protection Features

It isn't likely that your building will pass its fire inspection if you haven't properly maintained the building's fire protection features. You need to make sure that your building has working sprinklers and fire alarms on each floor. You should also have:

• Fire extinguishers
• Well-lit exit signs
• Emergency lighting
• Smoke alarms

Additionally, you should have an evacuation plan that's posted on each floor of the building, typically near the elevators and stairwells.

Other Considerations

While it's important to make sure all of your building's fire protection equipment is in working order, you also need to make sure you're storing any combustible and/or flammable items properly. Anything that is flammable or combustible needs to be stored in proper containers, and the containers need to be stored safely in storage cabinets.

You should also address any electrical issues throughout the building. This means, you need to make sure the building's circuits are correctly labeled, all electrical sockets have face plates, and extension cords that are in use are grounded. If you have concerns about whether or not the wiring is up to code, you should consider contacting a commercial electrician to inspect the building's wiring and make any needed repairs before the fire inspection.

While it's common for a building inspection to be completed before a commercial property can be sold, you shouldn't stress too much over your fire inspection. As long as your building's fire protection equipment is in good shape and the building is up to code, you should be able to pass the inspection with flying colors. Contact a company like AccuPro Inspection Services to learn more.