Fire Escape Inspection & Certifications Boston, MA
Regular fire escape inspections and certifications in Massachusetts are imperative if you own a building with a fire escape, whether an apartment building, high rise or office. Building owners in Boston, MA and surrounding areas are required to have their fire escapes certified every five years, and then file that certificate with the city. In order to get certified, they must have regular inspections and pass all aspects of the test.
Certification Inspection
There are many steps involved in a certification inspection. In general, they involve:
- Conduct site visit to look inspect fire escape
- Provide an estimate
- Obtain a permit to make all repairs as specified in the contract
- Complete the job
- Get an inspection and a sign-off from the building department inspector
- File an application for certification (this requires an engineer’s report/affidavit)
- File all paperwork
- Pay fees
- Get certification
- File with city
Highly trained technicians conduct multi-point fire escape inspections that cover every component of the current fire escape system. Specifically, they will be on the lookout for any areas of rust, damage, or wear and tear. Such fire escape inspections are designed to ensure the system is safe at every point, including pulleys, cables and ladder support brackets. When all these elements pass inspection, certification is issued.
If the fire escape fails inspection, a report specifying all code violations will be created. The fire inspection report should detail each specific code violation with a corresponding photo and description of the issue at hand.
Fire Escape Laws & Codes
We operate in accordance with the Massachusetts Fire Escape Law – Building Code 1001.3.3 – 1001.3.3 Testing and Certification, which states:
“All exterior bridges, steel or wooden stairways, fire escapes and egress balconies shall be examined and/or tested, and certified for structural adequacy and safety every five years, by a Massachusetts registered professional engineer, or others qualified and acceptable to the building official; said engineer or others shall then submit an affidavit to the building official.”
What’s Included in a Fire Inspection?
In addition to load tests, fire inspections include an in-depth examination of the following:
- Bolts, angles or other structural components and connections
- All treads, rail posts and platform supports
- Cement or through-bolt connections
- Material loss as a result of corrosion
- Internal rust in any connection or joint
- All surfaces to ensure proper coating
- All mechanical parts such as drop-down ladders and pulleys
- Existing or new non-iron (i.e., wooden) structures
Common Fire Escape Repairs
Sometimes, as a result of the fire inspection findings, repairs must be performed in order for the fire escape to pass inspection and get certified. Here are some common ones:
- Remove and replace nuts and bolts as needed
- Perform welding if needed
- Replace mortar for brick wall fire escapes
- Seal all major connections for rust prevention with silicone or similar material
- Remove rust by scraping, then painting or replacing metal
- Reinforce any connections to the building as necessary
- Paint all stairs and rails to safeguard against rusting
- Repair or replace the cable for the safe operation of drop ladder
- Repair and re-balance staircase cantilevers and ladders (counter-balanced, sliders, hydraulic and torque)
- Scrape and paint
- Remove any violations and make updates as needed
Here at AD Construction, we perform fire inspection repairs so you can earn your certification.
Contact AD Construction
Quality Fire Escape Repairs & Restoration Boston, MA
Looking for fire escape inspections, repairs and restoration in the South End, Back Bay, Cambridge, Brookline, Newton, Milton and the Boston Metro area?
To learn more about our fire escape inspections and certifications, call us at 877-345-BUILD (2845) or fill out our online form. Our general contractors inspect fire escapes in Boston on apartment buildings, offices, multi-family homes and more.
