Business Owner Fire Safety Responsibilities

Business owners are responsible for the maintenance of their space and for ensuring the business operates with respect to fire safety. In addition to practising the three lines of defence against fire — Prevention, Detection, Escape — business owners have specific requirements under the Ontario Fire Code.

Definition of Owner

The Ontario Fire Code defines “owner” as any person, firm or corporation having control over any portion of the building or property under consideration and includes the person in the building or property. Therefore, whether a business owner owns the building, or simply operates a business within a building, business owners have obligations with respect to fire safety for which they can be held accountable.

The Fire Protection and Prevention Act allows a fire prevention officer to enter and inspect without a warrant any land or premise for the purpose of assessing fire safety. The power to enter and inspect can be exercised at all reasonable times.

Fire Code

The mission of all fire departments is Fire and Life Safety. The Ontario Fire Code is recognized as a minimum standard to which buildings and businesses must adhere. In every inspection compliance with The Ontario Fire Code is our ultimate goal. Once a building or business is recognized by a Fire Prevention Officer to be in contravention of the Ontario Fire Code, the officer will issue an order or an inspection report identifying the offence and a date by which the deficiency must be remedied.

Violations & Consequences

  • Sometimes, the severity of the offence or the tendency of the business or building to be continually out of compliance causes the fire department to pursue penalties under the Provincial Offences Act by means of issuing a ticket, or by serving a summons requiring a person or business to appear in Provincial Offences Court.
  • In these cases, if found guilty of a contravention of the Ontario Fire Code a person or a director of a corporation can be liable to a fine up to $50,000. The corporation can be liable to a fine of up to $100,000.

Keeping Records

When tests or corrective measures required by the Fire Code are carried out such as:

✓ Annual inspections of smoke and CO alarms
✓ Emergency lighting tests
✓ Fire alarm annual inspections
✓ Sprinkler annual inspections
✓ Portable extinguisher annual inspections
✓ Commercial kitchen suppression system 6-month inspection

A copy of the records must be maintained at the building for examination by the Fire Department if requested. Records of maintenance, checks, tests and inspections like those listed above must be maintained for at least 2 years after being prepared.

Fire Safety Plans

The Ontario Fire Code, Div. B, Section 2.8 provides for the required preparation, approval, and implementation of a fire safety plan for most buildings and occupancies.

Frequently Asked Questions