Published:Fri, Aug 22

Fire Safety at Full Scale: Why Inefficient Workflows Put Firms at Risk

2 min read

Fire safety firms know the stakes: lives, buildings and reputations are on the line. Yet too many are still running operations on spreadsheets, paper forms and disjointed systems. The result? missed inspections, compliance gaps and cash flow delays that undermine both safety and business performance.

The Workflow Bottlenecks

Engineers tied up with admin instead of inspections
Paper forms that vanish before they reach the office
Compliance reports that take days to produce
Invoices stuck in backlog, putting pressure on margins!

With tighter regulation and rising client expectations, firms need a smarter way forward.

When Processes Fail: A Cautionary Tale

History is full of reminders of what happens when fire safety processes break down. In 2018, healthcare giant Bupa was fined over £1 million after inspectors uncovered systemic failings that left vulnerable residents at risk. A year later, in 2019, a Kent brasserie was ordered to pay more than £46,000 for breaches that endangered customers and staff. Back in 2002, a chemical plant in North Shields was fined after sparks from unsafe maintenance practices ignited solvent-soaked rags, sparking a blaze that forced hundreds to evacuate. And perhaps most stark of all, in 1991, the Imperial Food Products fire in North Carolina killed 25 workers after exits were locked and inspections were neglected a tragedy that bankrupted the business.

Different industries, same pattern: inspections missed, records incomplete, and risks left unchecked until it was too late.

A Digital Fix: Arez FieldIQ

Modern platforms like Arez FieldIQ are reshaping how fire protection teams work day-to-day. Here are three ways it makes the biggest difference:

1. Smarter Scheduling

Jobs are allocated automatically to the right engineer based on skills, certifications and availability. Managers see a live view of every visit and can react instantly when urgent jobs arise.

2. Digital Inspections

Engineers log inspections directly on their mobile devices, capturing photos, notes, and signatures. All fire assets extinguishers, alarms, detectors are tracked in one place, with compliance evidence uploaded instantly.

3. Instant Compliance Reports

Every inspection automatically generates a report with a full audit trail. Clients can access their compliance evidence in real time through a secure dashboard.