Fire safety

Our instructors have extensive experience in fire safety and hold the level 5 qualification of a fire safety specialist.

Only an interesting and properly prepared training/drill will give people the knowledge and skills they need to take action in a situation of fire.

Fire safety refresher training for staff members should take place at least once a year.

What kinds of fire safety training does Viking Security offer?
Viking Security offers a wide range of fire safety training opportunities:
– Evacuation and fire drill with training session
– Practical training in the use of fire safety equipment
– Training for works involving open flame- Training for the person responsible for fire safety
– Fire safety refresher training for staff members

Is it compulsory to carry out an evacuation and fire drill in my building?
Carrying out a drill once a year is mandatory in buildings where it is mandatory to perform a fire safety self-inspection or a fire safety inspection.

I would like to order fire safety training and an evacuation drill. What kind of information do I need to provide for this?
For fire safety training and an evacuation drill, please send us the address of your building and attach the building’s action plan in the event of fire and evacuation plans. Based on this, we will create a quote for you.

Who needs to go through training for works involving an open flame?
The Fire Safety Act lays down the requirements for performing works involving an open flame, according to which works involving an open flame may be performed in the form of an economic activity by persons who have completed the training for works involving an open flame and hold the certificate for works involving an open flame. For their own use and when following all fire safety requirements, a person can perform works involving an open flame without training and certification, but to perform these works (welding, cutting metal with a wheel cutter, fixing roofing by heating) professionally, you must be trained to perform works involving an open flame. The certificate is valid for 5 years, after which the training must be retaken.

The fire safety inspection can be carried out by a person qualified as a level 5 fire safety specialist or a level 6 fire safety expert.

The results of the fire safety inspection are entered into the fire safety inspections portal of the Estonian Rescue Board.

With the amendment to the Fire Safety Act, which came into force on 01.04.2021, office buildings with an area of more than 750 m², industrial buildings and warehouses and garages with an area of more than 1000 m² must carry out a fire safety inspection every three years. The building’s owner is responsible for organising the fire safety inspection.

As the person responsible for fire safety in my building, can I carry out the fire safety inspection myself?
The fire safety inspection can be carried out by a person qualified as a level 5 fire safety specialist or a level 6 fire safety expert.

Conducting a fire safety inspection is now mandatory for my building. Do I still have to submit a fire safety self-inspection report?
No, buildings subject to a fire safety inspection will no longer be required to submit a fire safety self-inspection report.

Can I also see the fire safety inspection information for my building?
Yes, you can see the fire safety inspection information on the Estonian Rescue Board’s fire safety inspections portal ylevaatus.paasteamet.ee. You need to log in as the owner of the building.

What happens to the shortcomings found during a fire safety inspection?
The person carrying out the fire safety inspection enters the shortcomings in the fire safety inspections portal and sets deadlines for remedying them. The shortcomings that are not remedied by the agreed deadlines will be sent to the Rescue Board and they will deal with them (usually a precept is issued).

Preparing the fire safety documentation required by law can seem like a complicated and time-consuming task. With the help of our specialists, it is easy – we map the site and collect the necessary information, prepare a document based on the information received, and send it to the client for review. If everything is in order, the company manager can approve the document or procedure and we can submit it to, for example, the Rescue Board if necessary.

When preparing documents, we aim not to produce long and complicated documents that no one will read anyway. Fire safety guidelines should be simple and easy to understand – their purpose is to provide people with the knowledge needed to ensure fire safety and about how to act in the event of a fire.

Do I need to have an action plan in the event of fire and evacuation plans for my building?
An action plan in the event of fire and evacuation plans must be drawn up for buildings subject to a fire safety inspection or a fire safety self-inspection report.

I want to draw up evacuation plans for a building – what do I need for this?
For evacuation plans, we need floor plans of the building in the DWG format. If the DWG plans are available, we can format them to serve as evacuation plans and add the necessary fire safety information.

How long should the action plan in the event of a fire be? What information should it contain?
The information that the action plan in the event of fire should contain is laid down in the regulation No. 43 of the Minister of the Interior and we follow it when preparing these plans. We follow the principle that the information contained in the action plan should not be too long and complicated, but at the same time it should contain information in sufficient detail, eg on checking the AFA alarm, how to act in the event of a fire and evacuation, reception of the rescue team, etc.

How often should I update my fire safety documentation?
The fire safety documentation should be amended as soon as there is a change in the building’s or company’s information that is related to fire safety. We recommend reviewing fire safety documentation once a year. If anything has changed, the change should be reflected in the documentation immediately.

We have extensive experience with a wide range of buildings – commercial, office and industrial buildings, warehouses, and enterprises liable to be affected by major accidents.

If I order the fire safety management service, do I no longer have to take any responsibility for fire safety?
The person responsible for fire safety on the site is still the person responsible for fire safety in the company. Viking Security is a great partner, who makes it much easier to deal with fire safety for the person responsible and helps them do a better job.

How much does a fire safety management service cost?
The price largely depends on the building (its size and complexity) and the services included in the management service. The prices of the fire safety management service start from €30 + VAT per month.

A fire safety audit is required when applying for an authorisation for use, for example if the building does not have an approved building design documentation or is built differently from the approved design.

A fire safety audit can only be carried out by a person qualified as a level 6 fire safety expert.

What documents are needed to prepare a fire safety audit?
For preparing a fire safety audit, the building design documentation or the latest as-build drawings are required, and, if possible, documentation on the heating systems in the building, data on the maintenance and upkeep of the building’s fire safety installations, and the valid report of a chimney sweep.

Can I use the received audit document to immediately apply for the authorisation for use?
The fire safety audit is only one of the documents required in the application process for the authorisation for use. In addition, the audit must be positive, ie the building must meet all fire safety requirements.

Can I order a positive fire safety audit from a fire safety expert?
The person qualified as a level 6 fire safety expert is an objective and independent expert who assesses the existing situation. In general, ordering a fire safety audit does not mean that it will be positively assessed and that the building will comply with fire safety requirements. However, in the audit, the expert will make recommendations and suggestions to remedy the shortcomings identified. Checking that the shortcomings have been remedied and preparing a positive audit is a separate process.

What is the process of doing a fire safety audit and how long does it take?
To prepare a fire safety audit, it is necessary to carry out an on-the-spot visit of inspection of the building. Depending on the building, it takes about 2–3 hours, with larger buildings requiring several visits. Then, within 20–30 days, the fire safety expert prepares a written fire safety audit document, signs it and sends it to the client.

Viking Security carries out inspections and maintenance of fire extinguishers, fire hose systems as well as hydrants and water points.

An indoor fire extinguisher should normally be inspected once every two years, and an extinguisher in a vehicle and outdoors once a year. Fire extinguisher maintenance should be carried out according to the manufacturer’s instructions for dry powder extinguishers and CO₂ extinguishers, but in an interval of no more than 10 years.

The maintenance of foam extinguishers should be carried out at least every 5 years. Fire hose systems should be checked once a year and a pressure test should be done every 5 years.

Can I check my own fire extinguishers?
No. The inspection of fire extinguishers must be carried out by a specialist with the relevant knowledge and tools, and the company providing the service of inspection and maintenance of fire extinguishers must also have the activity entered into the register of economic activities.

Isn’t a fire extinguisher inspection just tapping it with a rubber hammer?
Definitely not. Fire extinguisher inspections must be carried out in accordance with the standard, the manufacturer’s instructions and current legislation, and it will involve a lot more than just tapping the fire extinguisher with a rubber hammer.

How many fire extinguishers do I need to have in my building? There usually has to be one 6 kg powder extinguisher for every 200 m² and at least 2 extinguishers per floor (if the floor is larger than 50 m²), at least one 6 kg powder extinguisher and one 2 l Class F oil/fat extinguisher in a hot food preparation area located in a public building or which can be moved. Depending on the nature of the building, we recommend adding 6 l foam or 5 kg CO₂ extinguishers (for example CO₂ extinguishers for server and electrical rooms).

As fire safety regulations no longer require a fire hose system in my building, can I simply decommission it?
A fire hose system is a technical building system, and in general, major modifications to the technical systems require the preparation of building design documentation and applying for a building permit, which must be approved by the local government and the Rescue Board. However, a building constructed according to new building design documentation must comply with all applicable fire safety requirements. Therefore, a fire hose system cannot simply be decommissioned or dismantled. This can only be done if the change has approved building design documentation and, after the change, the building complies with all applicable fire safety requirements.