Who's responsible
In England and Wales, the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 puts duties on the responsible person - usually the employer, owner, or whoever controls the premises. As well as a fire risk assessment (which must be recorded in writing), they must make sure fire safety measures are maintained and in good working order. Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own fire safety laws with similar duties.
GOV.UK's guide for small premises in England says a suitable record of testing and maintenance should be kept, in a log book or electronically - along with records of staff training and fire drills. The intervals below come from that guide; Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own guidance with similar intervals.
The schedule at a glance
| How often | Check | Who |
|---|---|---|
| Daily | Exit doors unlocked and easy to open, escape routes clear of storage (part of opening up) | Staff |
| Weekly | Fire alarm test, using a different call point each week | Staff |
| Weekly | Fire-resisting doors on stairways close properly | Staff |
| Monthly | Emergency lighting functional test | Staff |
| Monthly | Visual check of fire extinguishers | Staff |
| Six-monthly | Fire alarm system inspected and tested | Competent contractor |
| Six-monthly | Fire doors checked for damage and gaps | Staff or contractor |
| Yearly | Emergency lighting inspected and tested (full duration) | Competent contractor |
| Yearly | Fire extinguishers inspected and tested | Competent contractor |
| Periodically | Fire drills (GOV.UK suggests, for example, once a year; your fire risk assessment, licence or insurer may set how often) | You |
| On joining, then typically yearly | Staff fire safety training | You or a trainer |
| Regularly, and after changes | Fire risk assessment review | Responsible person |
Based on GOV.UK, Making your small non-domestic premises safe from fire (updated 20 January 2025), a guide for England. Larger or higher-risk premises may need more; follow your fire risk assessment and your contractor's advice.
How Muster fits this schedule. Muster logs the weekly alarm test, a weekly walk-round of escape routes and fire doors, and the monthly emergency lighting and extinguisher checks from QR stickers, and records contractor work, drills, training and reviews in the app. It doesn't log the daily opening check: make that part of opening up. Its drill reminder defaults to every six months and its fire risk assessment review reminder to once a year, and you can change both.
The weekly fire alarm test
Each week, activate the alarm from a manual call point (usually with a test key) and check it can be heard throughout the building. Use a different call point each week, so over time every one is proved to work. Record:
- The date and time
- Which call point you used (e.g. "CP3 - kitchen door")
- Whether the alarm sounded properly and reset
- Who did the test, and any fault found
Tell staff and customers before you test, and try to test at the same time each week so everyone knows a short ring isn't a real alarm. Muster suggests the call point tested longest ago, so the rotation looks after itself.
Emergency lighting
Emergency escape lighting runs on batteries if the mains supply fails. Once a month, briefly simulate a power cut (a test key switch is the usual way) and check every fitting lights up - then restore power so the batteries recharge. Once a year, a competent person should do a full-duration test and inspection. Self-testing fittings still need someone to check their indicators and record any faults.
Fire extinguishers
Monthly, have a quick look at each extinguisher: in its place, easy to reach, pin and tamper seal intact, gauge in the green, no damage. Once a year a competent contractor services them - keep the certificate.
Drills and staff training
Staff need fire safety training when they start and a refresher periodically - typically every year. Record who was trained, on what, and when the refresher is due. Fire drills check your plan works in practice: note the date, how long it took to get everyone out, and anything that slowed people down. GOV.UK says that in many small premises a full evacuation drill every year isn't essential, but you should go through your fire procedures with staff periodically, and periodic drills are a good way to test them.
Faults and what you did about them
A log that records a fault but never the fix raises more questions than it answers. Write down what went wrong, who you called, and when it was put right. In Muster, a failed check opens a fault automatically, and it stays on your dashboard until someone records the action that closed it.
Paper or digital?
Either is fine, as long as it's complete and available. The common problem with paper is simple: the book is in the office, the test happens at the panel, and Friday's entry gets "caught up" on Monday - or not at all. A QR sticker on the panel puts the log book where the test happens.
