Fire Safety Audit

Fire Safety Audit

A fire safety audit helps assess whether a building complies with essential fire safety requirements. An audit may be needed, for example, if the building has been constructed differently from the design, if the construction has not been properly documented or if the building’s fire safety cannot be determined from the existing documents.

Tondi Tulekaitse carries out building fire safety audits to assess the fire safety condition of a building and identify possible deficiencies or areas that need improvement.

When may a fire safety audit be needed?

A building fire safety audit may be needed, for example:

• during the occupancy permit or occupancy notice procedure;

• if the construction documentation is incomplete;

• if the building has been constructed differently from the design;

• to assess the fire safety of an existing building;

• when planning a change in the building’s purpose of use;

• when planning fire safety improvement measures;

• before major reconstruction works or changes.

What does a fire safety audit assess?

The purpose of a fire safety audit is to assess the fire safety of a building and, in particular, to determine whether it complies with the essential fire safety requirements arising from the Building Code.

Essential fire safety requirements are requirements that help ensure that, in the event of a fire:

• the load-bearing capacity of the building is maintained for the required period;

• the development and spread of fire and smoke within the building are limited;

• the spread of fire to neighbouring buildings is limited;

• safe evacuation is ensured;

• the safety and operational possibilities of the rescue team are taken into account.

Who carries out a fire safety audit?

A building fire safety audit is carried out by a certified fire safety expert. The audit helps determine whether the building’s fire safety complies with the requirements or which deficiencies need to be eliminated.

Important to know

A positive fire safety audit does not automatically guarantee approval of an occupancy permit or occupancy notice. The Estonian Rescue Board may impose additional requirements depending on the specific building and the circumstances of the procedure.

When is an audit useful?

A building audit may be required if the building has been constructed differently from the construction design or if the construction has not been properly documented.

A building fire safety audit may be needed for the approval of an occupancy permit or occupancy notice if the building’s fire safety cannot be determined from the construction documents. An audit is also useful for assessing the safety of an existing building, planning a change in the building’s purpose of use, planning improvement measures and in other situations where the building’s compliance with fire safety requirements needs to be assessed.