10 Fire Safety Risks Businesses Often Overlook

October is Fire Prevention Month. While preventing fires is important, it is not realistic to assume every fire can be avoided. What is realistic is making sure building occupants have a clear, reliable way to get out safely if a fire occurs. Buildings are designed with life safety in mind, but those protections only work when they are maintained as the business changes. Exit doors, aisles, emergency lighting, alarms, and evacuation plans all require ongoing attention.

Our Risk Control consultants frequently see issues that develop after safety features are installed or after building use changes. Below are 10 common issues that can interfere with safe egress, which means people’s ability to get out quickly and safely during an emergency.

1. Narrow aisles and blocked exits – Buildings don’t expand just because a business grows. When machinery is added, stock increases, or storage racking is changed, aisles can narrow and exits can become blocked. Warehouses and factories often address “aisle creep,” where storage, equipment, or materials gradually narrow walking paths, by painting lines to mark aisles. If painting aisle markings isn’t an option, supervisors should routinely check for blocked aisles and exits. One concern our Risk Control consultants note is rolling carts placed in front of doors. While this may seem temporary because the carts are on wheels, a cart can still slow people down if the power goes out and several people are trying to exit at the same time. Regularly walk exit routes and remove carts, stock, or equipment that could slow evacuation.
2. Exit doors that no longer lead to a safe way out – Do you need every door to be available as an exit?  Maybe, maybe not. Before changing how a door is used, consult the authority having jurisdiction, such as the local fire marshal or building official, or a qualified life safety professional to confirm whether signage, access, or exit requirements are affected. If a door is no longer intended or permitted to serve as an exit, confirm whether exit signage should be removed or changed to avoid confusing occupants during an emergency. In a fire, people know to look for exit signs, and leading someone to a door that is no longer an exit could keep them from getting out safely. Review exit doors and signage regularly to confirm they still direct people to usable, safe exits.
3. Blocked exit paths outside the building – Getting outside is one step; getting to a safe location is another. Depending on the layout of your property, you might not see all sides of your building often. Over time, weeds grow, puddles form, snow piles up, and old equipment gets placed outside, making the path to safety from those doors less safe. Walk the full exterior of the building regularly and correct conditions that could block safe travel away from exits.
4. Misdirected emergency lights – Emergency lighting checks should confirm that each light works and is aimed where people need it during an evacuation. Businesses need to verify that lights illuminate the path to an exit, not just that they turn on. Whether the light was installed incorrectly or became loose and shifted over time, failing to check the direction of the light can leave an exit route poorly lit during an emergency. During lighting checks, confirm each light is aimed toward the exit path, not just that it turns on.
5. Locked doors – Security is important, but safety is just as important. Exit doors should allow people to leave quickly and easily from the inside without needing a key, tool, special knowledge, or unusual effort. Panic-bar-style hardware can help balance security with quick, intuitive exit during an emergency. Where secondary locking arrangements are permitted, they should be managed carefully so they do not remain engaged when the building is occupied. Even where panic hardware is not required, businesses may want to evaluate whether door hardware supports safe and intuitive egress. Check exit doors regularly to confirm they open easily from the inside whenever the building is occupied.
6. Disregard for occupancy limits – Maximum occupancy limits are not primarily about comfort, although comfort may be a benefit. Their purpose is to ensure the building’s exits can safely handle the number of people inside. Crowds rushing to exits can lead to crowd crush. Know your occupancy limits and plan ahead before special events or peak-use periods.
7. Remodeling without permits and approvals – Small businesses do not always have the resources to hire an architect and contractor, so DIY renovations happen. A simple construction project, like adding a small office, can cause another area of a building to lose access to a key exit. Before starting a renovation, consider how the work could affect exits, travel paths, and emergency access.
8. Poorly placed or blocked fire extinguishers – Fire extinguishers should be easy to see and reach without pulling people away from a safe exit path. They should be located so a person does not have to move farther away from an exit to reach one. Employees should understand that extinguishers are only for small fires when they are trained, the fire is contained, and a clear path to the exit remains available. Check extinguisher locations regularly to confirm they remain visible, accessible, and positioned near safe exit paths.
9. Unclear occupant notification procedures – Some buildings may not be required to have a full fire alarm system, but every business still needs a reliable way to alert people when evacuation is necessary. In some small, quiet settings, verbal notification may be appropriate. In larger or noisier environments, another clearly understood alert method may be needed. Whatever method you choose, make sure it can be heard over normal operations and that people understand what the signal means. If people move toward the sound out of curiosity instead of evacuating, the alert is not accomplishing its purpose. Test your alert method and train employees so they know the signal means evacuate, not investigate.
10. Weak emergency action planning – Alerting people is only the first step. Employees also need to know what to do next. Written emergency action plan requirements vary by operation, but every business benefits from thinking through how people will respond in an emergency. A plan should address more than fire, including severe weather, medical emergencies, and power outages. Employees should know when and how to evacuate, where to go, how to alert others, and what the alert signal sounds like. If customers, vendors, contractors, or large groups are in your building, they also need clear direction on where to go and how to exit safely. Review your emergency procedures with employees and make sure visitors or large groups receive clear evacuation direction.
     

Safe egress can be easy to overlook during normal operations, but history shows why it deserves regular attention. Tragic events such as the Station Night Club Fire in 2003 and the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory in 1907 fire remind us that blocked exits, crowding, confusing conditions, and delayed evacuation can have serious consequences.

Businesses can help reduce these risks by routinely reviewing exit routes, door operation, emergency lighting, occupant notification, extinguisher placement, and emergency procedures before an emergency occurs.