Hospital Fire Safety Checklist

Use this checklist for a structured fire safety walk-through of wards, OTs, ICUs, kitchens, stores and plant rooms. Hospitals hold patients who cannot move themselves, so the focus is on keeping escape routes clear, detection and suppression working, and staff ready to evacuate horizontally. Run it monthly and before any NABH or fire department inspection.

Checks: 37
Sections: 6
Frequency: Monthly full walk-through, with daily exit checks and weekly system tests
Owner: Fire safety officer with the engineering team

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01Means of escape
- Exit corridors and staircases free of beds, trolleys, cartons and stored items
- Fire exit doors open freely from inside and are not locked or chained
- Self-closing fire doors close fully and are not wedged open
- Exit signs lit and visible from every point along the route
- Emergency lighting works on a test switch along escape routes
- Evacuation plan displayed at each floor, correctly oriented with you-are-here marking
- Refuge areas and horizontal evacuation compartments kept clear
02Detection and alarm
- Fire alarm control panel on system normal, and any fault or disablement light explained in the log
- Smoke and heat detectors unobstructed and not covered by paint or bags
- Manual call points accessible, unbroken and clearly signed
- Hooters and public address audible in wards, OTs and toilets
- Weekly alarm test done and result logged with the zone tested
- Detector coverage restored after any false ceiling or interior work
03Fire extinguishers and first-aid firefighting
- Correct extinguisher type placed for each area, including CO2 near electrical panels
- Pressure gauge in the operable range and safety pin and seal intact
- Inspection tag shows the last check and next refill or hydro-test date
- Extinguishers mounted, visible and not blocked by furniture
- Fire blankets available in the kitchen and pantry areas
- Hose reel drums complete with nozzle and not leaking
04Hydrant, sprinkler and pump systems
- Fire pump room clean, accessible and pumps set to auto mode
- Jockey and main pump pressures logged at the start of the week
- Diesel fire pump fuel level adequate and battery charged
- Hydrant valves, hose boxes and couplings complete and undamaged
- Sprinkler heads free of paint, dust build-up and obstructions below
- Fire water tank level at its reserved capacity
05Electrical and hazard control
- No overloaded sockets, daisy-chained extension boards or loose wiring
- Electrical panels closed, labelled and kept free of stored material
- Medical gas manifold room and cylinder store kept free of oil, grease and ignition sources
- Flammable liquids stored in small quantities in approved cabinets
- Kitchen hood and exhaust ducts free of visible grease build-up
- No-smoking signage in place and no evidence of smoking on the premises
06Training, drills and records
- Fire drill conducted on schedule, including at least one night-shift drill
- Drill observations and gaps recorded with owners and closure dates
- Floor fire wardens named for each shift and their names displayed
- New joiners trained on raising the alarm and using extinguishers
- Staff on the floor can explain the evacuation route for their area
- Previous inspection findings closed or escalated with reasons

How to run this checklist well

Walk the route the way an evacuating bed would travel. A corridor that looks clear on foot can still be blocked for a stretcher or wheelchair.
Put a QR code on each extinguisher and hydrant point so the checker scans it and takes a photo of the gauge. The timestamped photo is far stronger evidence than a tick on a register.
Rotate fire drills across shifts and departments. Night shifts with thinner staffing are where gaps usually show.
Raise every failed item as a work order with an owner and due date, instead of leaving it as a remark on the checklist.
Keep the fire NOC, AMC reports and drill records in one place so they can be shown together during an audit.

Frequently asked questions

How often should a hospital carry out a fire safety inspection?

Most hospitals combine daily checks of exits and emergency lighting, weekly tests of alarms and pumps, and a full monthly walk-through of every floor. Extinguisher servicing and hydrant system maintenance follow the vendor AMC schedule. The fire NOC conditions and NABH expectations both point towards a documented, regular routine rather than a single annual check, so set a calendar and keep the evidence.

Who is responsible for fire safety in a hospital?

Overall accountability sits with hospital management, usually delegated to a designated fire safety officer working with the engineering team. Day-to-day checks are often split: engineering covers pumps, hydrants and alarm panels, while floor fire wardens on each shift check exits and extinguishers in their area. The safety committee should review findings and drill reports regularly.

What records do NABH assessors look for on fire safety?

Assessors typically look for a valid fire NOC, a fire safety plan, inspection and maintenance records for alarms, extinguishers and hydrants, drill reports with corrective actions, and training records showing staff awareness. They also talk to staff on the floor, so the paperwork needs to match what people actually know and do during a walk-through.

Why do hospitals use horizontal evacuation?

Many patients cannot use stairs quickly, especially in ICUs, OTs and wards with bedridden patients. Horizontal evacuation moves people across a fire-rated barrier into an adjacent compartment on the same floor, which buys time before any vertical evacuation is needed. That is why fire doors, compartment walls and clear corridors matter so much in a hospital checklist.

Run this checklist digitally, with QR and photo proof.

Staff scan the location, tick each check on their phone and attach photos. Missed rounds escalate automatically and every record is audit-ready.

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Aligned with

NABH Accreditation Standards for Hospitals (6th edition), FMS chapter
Conditions of the hospital's fire NOC issued by the local fire service

A practical template, not a substitute for your hospital’s own SOPs or the official standard text.

Read the guide

A Day in the Life of a Hospital Engineering Team
Medical Gas Pipeline Maintenance and Monitoring
Fire Safety Habits: Daily Ward Checks for Staff

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01Means of escape

02Detection and alarm

03Fire extinguishers and first-aid firefighting

04Hydrant, sprinkler and pump systems

05Electrical and hazard control

06Training, drills and records