The most dangerous assumption you can make about fire safety compliance is that the basics are enough. A few extinguishers on the wall. A smoke alarm that chirps every now and then. An evacuation plan printed years ago and pinned to a noticeboard no one reads.
It looks like compliance. It feels like compliance. But it isn’t.
And when a fire does happen (and they do!), it’s not the checklist that matters. It’s whether those systems actually work. Too often, they don’t.
Through our experience, we have come across many small and big omissions businesses allow, but in this article we will discuss the five fire safety mistakes we see time and time again—and how you can avoid them.
1. Treating Fire Risk Assessments as a Tick-Box Exercise
A fire risk assessment isn’t meant to be paperwork you file away and forget. It’s the backbone of your fire safety compliance. Yet, many businesses either download a generic template from the internet or pay someone to do it once and never look at it again.
Where’s the issue in that, you’d say? Risks change. A new layout, storing extra supplies, introducing new cleaning chemicals—all of these alter your fire risk.
If your assessment hasn’t been updated in the last year—or if it looks like it could apply to any business—it needs an urgent review.
2. Ignoring Fire Extinguisher Maintenance
Extinguishers are one of the most visible signs of fire safety—but visibility isn’t the same as reliability.
We’ve walked into workplaces with extinguishers that were out of date, missing safety tags, or worse—already discharged and never refilled. In a fire, that’s useless. More importantly – it’s dangerous! It gives staff a false sense of security.
Extinguishers need to be serviced annually by a competent supplier. And remember – don’t just pay the invoice—follow up and check the work was done.
3. Blocking or Forgetting Fire Exits
This one happens more often than you’d think. Fire exits used as storage spaces. Corridors filled with boxes. Exit doors locked “just in case.”
It may seem harmless, but only until smoke fills the room and people can’t get out. Fire exits that are blocked or locked are breaking the law and they put lives in direct danger.
Walk your fire exits regularly. If you couldn’t escape in the dark, with smoke in the air, your staff won’t either.
4. Neglecting Fire Safety Training
Fire safety is often left to “common sense.” The problem is, in an emergency, common sense goes out the window. People panic. They freeze. Or they make mistakes that put others at risk.
Every employee should know:
- How to raise the alarm
- Where the nearest exits are
- When to use (and not use) extinguishers
- Where to gather once outside
Fire drills aren’t a nuisance. They’re a rehearsal that could save lives.
5. Thinking ‘It Won’t Happen Here’
The most dangerous fire safety mistake of all is complacency. Fires may be rare, but when they happen, they’re fast and unforgiving. One fire can be one too many.
We’ve heard every excuse: “We’re too small.” “The landlord will handle it.” “We’ve never had a problem before.”
But the law is clear: if you’re the responsible person for your premises, the duty is yours. And when regulators investigate—or insurers ask questions—“we thought someone else was dealing with it” won’t protect you.
So, It All Boils Down To…
Fire safety compliance isn’t about red tape. It’s about people going home safely at the end of the day. It’s about protecting your livelihood from risks you can’t afford to ignore.
Avoiding these mistakes isn’t complicated. All you have to do is take them seriously, build good habits, and work with a partner who takes care of you paperwork and makes sure it all actually works.
At H & S Compliance Solutions, we help businesses like yours get fire safety compliance right—through tailored documentation, practical advice, and the all-important follow-up to ensure nothing slips through the cracks.
📞 Want peace of mind that your fire safety compliance passes the checks? Call us on 01865 60 21 51 today or book your free discovery call.