A Civil Defence inspection can happen at any time. The businesses that pass without issues are not the ones who scramble to prepare — they are the ones who conduct regular in-house checks and maintain their fire safety equipment consistently throughout the year.

This monthly checklist is designed for facility managers, business owners, and safety officers in Saudi Arabia. It covers the key items you can check yourself between professional service visits, helping you catch problems early and maintain a state of readiness at all times.

You do not need to be a fire safety expert to use this checklist. Most of these checks are visual and straightforward. What matters is doing them consistently, every month, and recording what you find.

Before You Start: What You Will Need

• This checklist (print it out or save it on your phone)
• A pen or digital recording tool
• Your fire safety logbook
• A torch for checking less accessible areas
• The contact number for your fire safety maintenance company

Set aside 30–60 minutes depending on the size of your facility. Walk the entire building systematically — do not try to do this from your desk.

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Section 1: Fire Extinguishers

Fire extinguishers are your first line of defence. Check every extinguisher in the building.

For each extinguisher, verify:

• The extinguisher is in its designated location and has not been moved
• It is mounted at the correct height (handle between 1.0m and 1.5m from the floor)
• The pressure gauge needle is in the green zone (not red)
• The safety pin is in place and the tamper seal is unbroken
• The body shows no visible damage — no dents, corrosion, or leaks
• The discharge nozzle or hose is undamaged and unobstructed
• The service tag is present and shows a service date within the last 12 months
• The extinguisher is clearly visible and not blocked by furniture, equipment, or stock
• The location sign above the extinguisher is visible and undamaged

Record: Note the location of any extinguisher that fails a check. Contact your maintenance company if the pressure gauge is in the red, the service is overdue, or the extinguisher is damaged.

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Section 2: Fire Alarm System

Control panel:

• The control panel is showing "normal" status — no fault lights, no alarm lights
• The panel display is readable and not showing any error codes
• The panel is powered (mains indicator light is on)
• The panel is not in "silenced" or "isolated" mode from a previous alarm

Detectors:

• Walk under each detector — none should have a fault LED illuminated
• No detectors are visibly damaged, missing, or covered (e.g., with a plastic bag from painting work)
• No detectors are obstructed by new shelving, partitions, or stored materials

Manual call points (break-glass units):

• All call points are in their designated locations
• None are damaged or have broken glass (indicating an activation that was not reported)
• All are accessible — not blocked by furniture or equipment
• The protective covers (where fitted) are in place

Sounders:

• No sounders are visibly damaged or missing

Record: Note the location of any fault indicators on the panel or any damaged/missing devices. Report panel faults to your maintenance company immediately — do not leave faults unattended.

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Section 3: Emergency Lighting

• Walk through all corridors, stairwells, and exit routes — no emergency light fittings have failed indicator LEDs
• All emergency light fittings are undamaged and securely mounted
• No emergency lights are obstructed by new signage, partitions, or stored materials

Note: Most modern emergency lights have a small green LED that shows the unit is charged and ready. A red or absent LED indicates a fault. Some units have a test button — press it briefly to confirm the light activates (do not hold it, as this discharges the battery).

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Section 4: Exit Signs

• All exit signs are illuminated
• No exit signs have failed bulbs or LEDs
• All exit signs are clearly visible from the approach direction
• No exit signs are obscured by new signage, decorations, or stored items

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Section 5: Evacuation Routes and Exit Doors

This section is critical. Blocked exits are one of the most common Civil Defence findings — and one of the most dangerous.

• All corridor and stairwell exit routes are completely clear — no boxes, furniture, equipment, or waste
• All fire exit doors open freely in the direction of travel
• No fire exit doors are locked, chained, or have had their hardware removed
• No fire exit doors are propped open with wedges or other objects (unless fitted with an approved automatic closer linked to the fire alarm)
• All fire exit doors close fully and latch when released
• The area outside each fire exit is clear — no vehicles, skips, or stored materials blocking the exit

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Section 6: Fire Doors (Internal)

• All fire doors in corridors and stairwells close fully when released
• No fire door closers are damaged, missing, or have been removed
• No fire doors are wedged open
• Fire door seals (intumescent strips) are intact — not torn, missing, or painted over
• No fire doors have been modified (e.g., holes cut through them, vision panels removed)

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Section 7: Fire Suppression Systems (Where Installed)

If your facility has a sprinkler system, kitchen suppression system, or FM200/clean agent system:

Sprinkler system:

• The sprinkler control valve is in the open position (handle parallel to the pipe)
• The pressure gauge on the sprinkler riser is within the normal range
• No sprinkler heads are damaged, painted over, or obstructed by new shelving or stored materials
• The sprinkler alarm valve area is clear and accessible

Kitchen suppression system:

• The system control panel (if separate) shows normal status
• The manual pull station is accessible and the pin is in place
• The nozzles above cooking equipment are not blocked by grease buildup

FM200 / clean agent system:

• The cylinder pressure gauges are within the normal range
• The control panel shows normal status
• The protected room is properly sealed — no new penetrations through walls or ceiling

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Section 8: General Housekeeping

Fire safety is not just about equipment — it is also about how the building is managed day to day.

• No combustible materials (cardboard, paper, fabric) are stored near electrical panels, boilers, or heat sources
• Electrical panels and distribution boards are accessible and not used as storage
• No extension leads are overloaded or daisy-chained
• Waste is not accumulating in corridors, stairwells, or plant rooms
• Flammable liquids (cleaning products, solvents) are stored in appropriate containers in designated areas
• The fire assembly point is clearly marked and accessible

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Recording Your Findings

After completing the checklist, record your findings in your fire safety logbook:

• Date of inspection
• Name of person conducting the inspection
• Any items that passed without issue (brief note)
• Any deficiencies found, with location details
• Action taken or planned for each deficiency
• Date deficiencies were resolved

This record is important. During a Civil Defence inspection, a well-maintained logbook demonstrates that you take fire safety seriously and manage it proactively.

When to Call Your Maintenance Company

Contact your fire safety maintenance company immediately if you find:

• A fire extinguisher with a pressure gauge in the red zone
• Any fault indicators on the fire alarm control panel
• A fire alarm zone that is isolated or silenced
• A sprinkler control valve that is closed
• An FM200 cylinder with low or zero pressure
• Any fire suppression system showing a fault

Do not wait until the next scheduled service visit for these issues. They represent an immediate reduction in your fire protection capability.

Annual Professional Service

This monthly checklist supplements — but does not replace — the annual professional service that Saudi Civil Defence regulations require. Your licensed fire safety company will conduct a thorough technical inspection that goes beyond what can be checked visually, including detector sensitivity testing, battery load testing, and system function tests.

At Tamam Omer Fire Safety, we provide annual maintenance contracts that cover all your fire protection equipment and ensure you remain fully compliant with Saudi Civil Defence requirements. Contact us to discuss a maintenance contract for your facility.