Fire safety is one of those responsibilities that many businesses assume they’ve got covered, until an inspection, a near-miss, or worse, an actual fire, reveals otherwise. Despite clear legal obligations under Singapore’s Fire Safety Act, a surprising number of Singapore businesses fall into the same avoidable traps year after year. Understanding these common mistakes is the first step towards building a genuinely safe workplace, rather than one that simply looks compliant on paper.
1. Treating the Fire Risk Assessment as a One-Off Task
One of the most frequent errors businesses make is completing a fire risk assessment when they first move into a premises and then never revisiting it again. A fire risk assessment isn’t a box-ticking exercise you do once and forget.
It should be reviewed and updated whenever there is a significant change, such as:
- New equipment being installed
- Altered layouts or renovations
- An increase in staff numbers
- A change in how a room or space is used
Many businesses also make the mistake of carrying out the assessment themselves without sufficient expertise, missing hazards that a trained professional would spot immediately. While it’s legally permissible for a “competent person” within the business to conduct the assessment, complex premises often warrant a qualified external assessor. At Kimty, we regularly find hazards during audits that were completely overlooked in a business’s original self-assessment.
2. Blocked or Locked Fire Exits
It sounds obvious, yet blocked fire exits remain one of the most commonly cited failures during fire safety inspections. Common examples include:
- Boxes or stock stacked against emergency doors
- Furniture left in escape routes
- Exits padlocked “for security” purposes
In a genuine emergency, seconds matter, and an obstructed exit can be the difference between a safe evacuation and tragedy. Businesses often forget that fire doors need to remain unlocked during operating hours, or fitted with panic hardware that allows immediate egress without a key. Regular walk-throughs to check that escape routes remain clear should be part of routine housekeeping, not an afterthought before an inspection.
3. Neglecting Fire Door Maintenance
Fire doors are engineered to contain fire and smoke for a specific period, but only if they’re properly maintained. A shockingly common mistake is propping fire doors open with wedges or furniture to improve ventilation or convenience, completely undermining their purpose.
Other issues that frequently go unnoticed until a formal audit include:
- Damaged seals around the door frame
- Missing or faulty self-closers
- Gaps that compromise the door’s fire rating
4. Inadequate or Outdated Fire Safety Training
Many organisations provide fire safety induction training to new staff and then never follow up. Fire safety knowledge fades over time, and without refresher training, employees may forget:
- Evacuation procedures
- The location of muster points
- How to use fire extinguishers correctly
Workplace fire safety training should be an ongoing commitment, not a single session delivered years ago to staff who have since moved departments or left the business entirely. Fire drills are another area of neglect. Some businesses run drills so infrequently that staff genuinely don’t know what to do when an alarm sounds, leading to confusion, delays, and unsafe evacuation behaviour.
5. Poorly Maintained Fire Extinguishers and Alarm Systems
Fire extinguishers require annual servicing by a competent engineer, yet it’s common to find extinguishers that are:
- Past their service date
- Incorrectly located
- Entirely missing from areas where they’re needed
Similarly, fire alarm systems need regular testing to ensure they’ll function when it matters most. This includes weekly call-point tests and periodic full system checks.
A related mistake is having the wrong type of extinguisher for the risk present. Using a water extinguisher on an electrical fire, for example, can be extremely dangerous. Staff need to understand which extinguisher applies to which fire class.
6. Ignoring Emergency Lighting
In the event of a power failure during a fire, emergency lighting guides people safely to exits. Businesses frequently underestimate the importance of testing this system regularly, leaving it non-functional exactly when it’s needed most.
7. Failing to Appoint (or Properly Train) Fire Wardens
Fire wardens play a crucial role in coordinating evacuations, checking rooms are clear, and liaising with the fire service. Some businesses either don’t appoint fire wardens at all or appoint them without providing adequate training, leaving these individuals unprepared to act confidently in an emergency.
8. Poor Record-Keeping
Fire safety compliance isn’t just about doing the right things, it’s about proving you’ve done them. Businesses often fail to keep adequate records of:
- Risk assessments and reviews
- Maintenance checks on equipment and alarms
- Fire drills carried out
- Staff training sessions
In the event of an incident or inspection, poor documentation can result in significant legal and financial consequences, even if the underlying safety measures were reasonably sound.
Bringing It All Together
Most fire safety failures aren’t the result of negligence or indifference. They’re the product of complacency, time pressure, and a lack of ongoing attention. A fire risk assessment conducted properly and reviewed regularly, combined with well-maintained equipment, trained staff, and clear escape routes, dramatically reduces the risk of fire-related harm and legal liability.
Businesses that treat fire safety as an evolving responsibility, rather than a one-time compliance task, protect not only their premises and assets but, most importantly, the lives of everyone who works in or visits their building. If you’re unsure whether your current measures would hold up to scrutiny, Kimty can carry out a full fire safety audit to identify gaps before they become serious problems.
Frequently Asked Questions
How often should a fire risk assessment be reviewed?
As a general rule, fire risk assessments should be reviewed at least annually, or sooner if there’s a significant change to the premises, occupancy, or activities carried out on site.
Who is legally responsible for fire safety in a workplace?
The “responsible person”, typically the employer, building owner, or facilities manager, holds legal responsibility for ensuring fire safety compliance under Singapore’s Fire Safety Act, enforced by the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF).
Can employees be fined for fire safety breaches personally?
Generally, liability falls on the responsible person or organisation, though individuals who deliberately obstruct fire safety measures (such as blocking exits) can also face consequences.
How often should fire drills be carried out?
Most guidance recommends fire drills at least twice a year, though higher-risk environments may require more frequent practice.
What's the difference between a fire warden and a fire marshal?
The terms are often used interchangeably in Singapore, both referring to individuals responsible for coordinating evacuations and supporting fire safety procedures on site.
Do small businesses need a formal fire risk assessment?
Yes. Regardless of size, any business with employees or members of the public on site is legally required to have a suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment in place.