In California, most commercial buildings are required to have their fire doors inspected once a year. While most business owners know they could face a fine, they don’t always consider the other hidden costs that can accompany a failed inspection.
We break down exactly what a failed fire door inspection will mean for your business, from fees to liability to closures.
In the Bay area, the California Fire Code follows the regulations set forth by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). NFPA 80, the Standard for Fire Doors and Other Opening Protectives, requires commercial buildings to be inspected once a year.
Inspections must be conducted by a licensed fire door inspector like Union Door. During their evaluation, the auditor will carry out a 13-point check. These points include:
Say your business hires a fire door inspector, and you don’t meet one or more of the 13 requirements. You’ll be given a formal violation notice, explaining each infraction. You may be given a time frame, often 15 business days, to correct your issues. Then, the inspector will return and conduct another inspection. In this instance, you’ll have to pay their fee for another inspection.
However, if a business still isn’t compliant at this time, they will likely be fined. This could be $500 for first offenders and up to $5,000 for those who have a history of offenses. In some cases, businesses aren’t given a grace period and will have to pay the fee immediately after the failed inspection.
Depending on the severity and history of your violations, your business may be closed down until fire door problems are resolved. This is especially true when your fire door infractions are putting your employees or customers in immediate danger if a fire were to start.
The costs of being closed go far beyond lost in-store sales. You’ll still need to pay employees, some or all of whom may not be able to work remotely. You could get behind on sending out existing orders, upsetting customers as they now have to adjust their schedules. If you’re in the food industry, your inventory may spoil, forcing you to discard thousands of dollars worth of food or products.
You’ll also need to hire a fire door repair specialist who can fix your issues and get you into compliance as quickly as possible. This urgent request will likely come with a rush fee.
Then, when you are able to get back into your building, you may need to pay your employees overtime to get back on track with orders and inventory needs. You might also forgo regular shipping and upgrade the delayed orders to expedited shipping—adding yet another unforeseen expense.
You can see how quickly the costs of an unexpected closure add up.
Let’s say that a business owner had put off their fire door inspection, and their employees liked to prop the door open for convenience. When a fire erupts in the break room, there’s nothing sealing those flames off from the rest of the building.
In moments, a small, confined fire has exploded into a dangerous inferno. Assuming everyone got out of the building unharmed, the business owner is now facing catastrophic damages including inventory, technology, and structural instability.
After a fire, if the inspection team determines that you didn’t have a fire door properly installed, your insurance company could deny part or all of your claim (depending on the exact verbiage of your contract).
Even if you don’t have a fire, your fire door inspection failures go on your business’s record. When you apply for an insurance policy, they may not accept you if you have a history of infractions. Your current insurance company could also drop you during your renewal process.
Of all the costs of not having a functional fire door, this is the most concerning. If someone within your building is injured as a result of a noncompliant door, you could be found liable. This could result in lawsuits or even criminal consequences.
When you consider all the costs associated with a faulty fire door—monetary and human—it doesn’t make sense to put off your fire door inspection. At Union Door, we’ve been conducting fire door testing for over a decade, and we can make sure that your fire door is operating at its best. Contact us today to set up your fire door inspection.
