During a recent inspection, fire department officials in Portland, Maine informed the owners of the iconic Time and Temperature office tower that it had failed a safety inspection.

According to the officials, there were no sprinklers on six of the buildings 14 floors and no smoke detectors in the hallways of multiple floors, in violation of city laws. The inspection also found a number of other fire and safety hazards, including loose wiring, broken emergency lighting as well as blocked or sealed emergency exits.

In addition, the inspection certificates of many of the fire alarms and fire extinguishers located throughout the building had already expired and the certificates of two of the buildings working elevators had expired in February.

The building’s owners are currently working with city officials to bring the building up to code to ensure the safety of its occupants.

Every year, local fire departments conduct annual fire safety audits in buildings to assess and mitigate potential fire-safety and life-safety hazards. Here are the top 11 reasons why your commercial buildings could fail this annual inspection:

1. The address of your property isn’t marked on the front of your building or if it is marked, it’s not visible from the street.
2. It’s difficult to open the exit door(s) from the inside.
3. The stairways, pathways, aisles and/or walkways are obstructed.
4. Emergency lights and exit signs aren’t working properly.
5. Electrical outlets, circuit breakers panels and junction boxes aren’t covered
6. You’re using extension cords for permanent rather than temporary purposes.
7. There are no fire extinguishers or if there are fire extinguisher, they’re not visible or they’re not working.
8. Your sprinkler system hasn’t been serviced properly by a licensed fire protection official at least once a year.
9. Hazardous material (chemicals, gasses, solids) aren’t properly stored or they’re stored without the proper permits.
10. Your building’s fire alarm system hasn’t been tested and serviced annually by a licensed fire alarm company.
11. The area around the outside of your building isn’t free of high grass, weeds, trash and debris.

The best way to protect your business, your customers and your employees is by installing a commercial fire alarm system. You should also contact your local fire department to determine if your building is up to code.

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