Shop safety

All store owners have had to deal with fire safety inspectors at least once. But only a few have managed to pass the inspection without fines. Read the article to find out what should be in the store and what conditions should be met to ensure the safety of business and people's health.

Fire safety is the responsibility of the business owner. If you rent premises, depending on what is written in the lease agreement, either the building owner or the tenant will be responsible for fire safety.

What should a store have to pass a fire safety inspection?

Fire inspectors primarily pay attention to:

• availability of fire safety instructions;
• how the emergency exits are equipped;
• who is responsible for fire safety;
• signs with the fire department's phone number and evacuation plan;
• whether there is a fire safety corner and what is in it;
• whether there is a fire extinguishing system and/or alarm system.

Large stores should be equipped with a fire alarm or fire extinguishing system. If your store has an area of more than 200 m², you need to install a complete fire extinguishing system, which means that there should be at least two detectors in each room, plus one detector in each fitting room if the height of the partitions reaches the ceiling.

If the store area is more than 200 m², you need to make sure that there are two emergency exits. The width of the exit should be at least 1.2 meters. Fireproof doors should be made of metal and equipped with an opening system.

If the store has doors with an automatic opening system or that rotate in a circle, you must install a regular door that opens outward separately. In general, all doors should open from the inside.

Accepting goods through an emergency entrance is only allowed when the store is closed and there are no visitors. Emergency exits must always be free and uncluttered.

If the building has one emergency exit, then no more than 50 people can be in it at a time.

If the building has two or more floors and the number of people on one floor is 25 or more, evacuation plans must be posted.

For hardware stores and those selling flammable goods, there are additional requirements: such goods cannot be sold in rooms with windows or a smoke exhaust shaft. Such goods must be located at least 4 meters away from exits, evacuation routes, and stairs. The distance between counters and stands should be at least 0.9 meters. It is prohibited to sell such goods in glass containers with a volume of more than 1 liter.

If your store is located in a separate building, then you must also monitor the surrounding area. This means that the access routes for fire trucks must be clear.

If your store is located on the ground floor of a residential building, you are prohibited from selling flammable goods and pyrotechnics. For shops with an area of up to 200 m², it is allowed to install only a fire alarm system, but if the shop is located on the ground floor of a residential building, then it is necessary to install a fire extinguishing system regardless of the area.

What should salespeople be able to do?

Regardless of the size of the store, how many people it employs or what it sells, all salespeople must be instructed on fire safety rules when they are hired. Subsequently, they need to update their knowledge 2 times a year.

Sellers should:

• know the procedure for acting in case of fire;
• know how to use fire extinguishers;
• know where the emergency exits are.

What should be in the fire safety corner?

They should be in the corner:

• a diagram of the building with evacuation exits;
• an instruction outlining the fire action plan;
• the telephone number of the fire department;
• rules for using a fire extinguisher and other fire-fighting equipment;
• recommendations for first aid;
• layout of fire extinguishing equipment;
• fire prevention measures.

How many fire extinguishers should a store have?

The number of fire extinguishers is calculated depending on the size of the store and what the store sells (whether it contains flammable substances).

In general, a simple formula is used for the calculation: one kilogram of extinguishing agent per 25 m² of floor space. If the store has a fire extinguishing system, you can install half of the required fire extinguishers.

Fire extinguishers are placed on the floor or on the wall, no more than 1.5 meters above the floor. They must be in a visible and accessible place. Do not place them near batteries or other heat-emitting equipment.