If you are the owner of a business or multifamily building then you know the importance of keeping your employees and/or tenants safe. One way you do this is by regularly scheduled maintenance on all safety equipment, including the building’s fire sprinkler service. Fire sprinkler inspections are critically important to the safety of everyone inside a building, and they are too often overlooked. Below are a few important things to remember about fire sprinkler inspections:

1. Safety Statistics – Studies show that buildings that have both fire sprinkler systems and early warning systems can reduce the chance of injuries, loss of life, and property damage by up to 50%. There is no doubting the fact that having these systems in place will truly be a benefit. As a business owner you have many responsibilities, but for most, the top priority is keeping your employees safe. Having fire protection services installed in your workplace is just one way to do that.

2. Ways to Remember – For small data centers based in the United States that are under 2,500 square feet, an Early Warning Fire Detection (EWFD) system is actually required so it makes it much easier to remember. For other types of businesses that do not have that requirement, it can sometimes be more difficult to remember. One way to make sure you never forget is to schedule your fire sprinkler inspections for the following year on the day that the fire department is there conducting your current inspection.

3. Involving Your Employees/Tenants – Another way to make fire sprinkler inspections and other types of safety systems a top priority in the building you own is to involve the people who are there, whether they are employees or tenants. Encourage the creation of a safety team where people can take their questions and concerns, and be eager to hear from safety team liaisons when they have something they want to see from leadership.

According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), there is no record of a fire killing more than two people in a building with a properly operating and strategically placed sprinkler system. That statistic alone is enough for many business owners to schedule their next inspection right away. Make sure that whatever type of building you own is properly protected, starting with the fire sprinkler system.