Ready for fire inspection
By Nick Hiltunen
Published in News on April 17, 2009 1:46 PM
Interim Goldsboro Fire Chief Gary Whaley provided this list of common violations found in Goldsboro's 3,500-some businesses during fire inspections:
* Inspected those extinguishers lately? State laws require an annual inspection of fire extinguishers by a qualified extinguisher company
* Are your flammables stored safely? Often, "combustibles" -- think gasoline or other flammable liquids or hazardous materials -- are kept too closely to ceilings or heat sources
* Spaghetti-like formations coming from electrical outlets? Homeowners aren't the only ones who abuse extension cords. Businesses are often cited for using extension cords as permanent wiring. They also sometimes place them in high-traffic areas, which can rub the wires bare.
* Is that exit sign shining brightly? Business owners can be cited when bulbs or batteries are burned out in exit signs.
* Plain messiness. Sometimes, bad housekeeping without regular trash removal is enough to warrant a violation
* Can you open your circuit breaker box? If not, you're in trouble. Circuit breakers needed at least 30 inches of space to each side and in front of the unit door
* Checked your sprinklers lately? Fire extinguishing and sprinkler systems require routine testing by technicians qualified to do such work
* Teensy street numbers? Better buy some bigger ones. State fire code requires that address numbers are at least 4 inches by 4 inches