Fire safety — drills, systems and register (France)
A list of checks and obligations with their cadence, ready to add to your agenda.
For French workplaces and premises open to the public (ERP). Covers evacuation drills and periodic fire-equipment tests, emergency lighting (BAES), annual and three-yearly checks of fire safety systems and mechanical smoke extraction, the safety register and staff training. It includes the annual extinguisher check, the ten-year overhaul and the annual fire-damper check, while the full lifecycle of extinguishers and fire doors lives in the kits dedicated to those products; it does NOT cover type-specific ERP rules (J, U, L, M…) or ICPE-specific fire duties.
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- 11 planned checks, the most frequent every month since the last inspection
Planned checks
Informative summary verified on 12/09/2026. It does not replace legal advice: the regulation cited prevails. If you spot an error, report it.
Some checks are only mandatory in certain countries: pick yours and the list follows.
In Italy this product has no planned checks: the ones listed apply to other countries.
- 01
Have the site fire extinguishers checked every year
Every extinguisher must be checked once a year by a competent person or body: general condition, pressure, tightness and legible labelling. The duty overlaps on two fronts — the Code du travail for the employer, the arrêté of 25 June 1980 for the operator of premises open to the public — and where a site is both, a single check satisfies them. The full extinguisher lifecycle, including the ten-year overhaul and disposal, lives in the dedicated extinguisher kit.
every 12 months since the last inspectionLegal obligationCode du travail art. R4227-39 ; Arrêté du 25 juin 1980 modifié, art. MS 38France onlySourceverified on 12/09/2026 - 02
Have the three-yearly check of category A/B systems and smoke extraction done
Where the ERP has mechanical smoke extraction slaved to a category A or B fire safety system, or a category A/B detection installation, an approved body performs a three-yearly verification which is additional to, not a replacement for, the annual one. Proof is the approved body's report; the system category is stated in the building's fire safety system identity file. Applies to ERP with a category A or B system and slaved mechanical smoke extraction, not to those with category C, D or E systems without slaving. Cadence to be confirmed on the cited source.
every 36 months since the last inspectionLegal obligationArrêté du 25 juin 1980 art. MS 73 et art. DF 10 ; art. GE 7France onlySource - 03
Have fire safety systems and smoke extraction checked annually
Unmodified technical safety installations (fire safety system, smoke extraction, alarm, safety electrical systems) are checked annually by a competent technician under the operator's responsibility or by an approved body where the regulation requires it. Proof is the verification report filed with the safety register. Applies to ERP: in categories 1 to 4 the checks required by the regulation must be carried out by bodies approved by the interior ministry, while in other cases competent technicians may perform them under the operator's responsibility. Cadence to be confirmed on the cited source.
every 12 months since the last inspectionLegal obligationArrêté du 25 juin 1980 art. GE 7, GE 8 et GE 10 ; art. MS 73 (SSI) ; art. DF 10 (désenfumage)France onlySource - 04
Train staff periodically in the use of firefighting equipment
Staff must be instructed in the practical use of first-intervention equipment (extinguishers, hose reels) and in alarm and evacuation procedures. Proof: individual training certificates and the session report; the yearly cadence is good practice, often required by insurers and safety commissions, rather than a quantified legal duty. Applies to all workplaces, with a stronger duty in ERP and high-risk establishments, where the safety regulation requires a dedicated safety service and some ERP types (J, U) have their own training obligations.
continuous check, confirm every 12 monthsRecommendedCode du travail art. R4227-28 et art. R4227-39France onlySourceverified on 11/09/2026 - 05
Check the one-hour autonomy of emergency lighting every six months
Every six months, verify the emergency lighting's minimum one-hour autonomy by simulating loss of the normal supply. The result and date are entered in the safety register. Applies to ERP fitted with emergency lighting. Cadence to be confirmed on the cited source.
every 6 months since the last inspectionLegal obligationArrêté du 25 juin 1980 art. EC 14France onlySource - 06
Have the fire dampers in the ducts checked every year
Fire dampers fitted in ventilation ducts must be checked at least once a year: closing, thermal or electromagnetic release, condition of the blade and the frame. The confirmed references are the arrêté of 22 March 2004 as amended and standards NF S 61-937-1, NF S 61-937-5 and NF EN 15650; the tag "IT 246" and the six-monthly frequency for ICPE sites, often quoted, are not confirmed and do not appear here. On a classified site the prefectoral order governs; the work is for a qualified technician or the installer.
every 12 months since the last inspectionLegal obligationArrêté du 22 mars 2004 modifié ; NF S 61-937-1 et NF S 61-937-5 ; NF EN 15650France only - 07
Keep the ERP safety register up to date
The ERP operator keeps a safety register recording the safety-service staff, technical checks and their results, works carried out, drills and instructions; updating is event-driven and the quarterly check is only a completeness reminder. The register is presented to the safety commission at each visit. Applies to all ERP: in category 5 premises the duty is lighter, but keeping the register remains the practice expected by safety commissions. Cadence to be confirmed on the cited source.
continuous check, confirm every 3 monthsLegal obligationCode de la construction et de l'habitation art. R143-44France onlySource - 08
Run the evacuation drill every six months
At least every six months the employer runs a drill in which workers learn to recognise the general alarm signal, locate and use exits and safe waiting areas, and carry out the required procedures. Proof is the drill report entered in the safety register, with date and observations. Applies to establishments required to have a fire safety instruction, namely those with more than 50 people or where flammable materials are handled or stored; premises that are also ERP may face stricter activity-specific frequencies.
every 6 months since the last jobLegal obligationCode du travail art. R4227-39France onlySourceverified on 11/09/2026 - 09
Plan the ten-year overhaul of the extinguishers
Besides the annual check, every ten years an extinguisher must undergo a full overhaul with opening, testing or replacement of components and re-stamping. The interval comes from art. MS 38 of the arrêté of 25 June 1980; the technical standard often quoted for the method was not re-verified and does not appear here. The overhaul is for a competent body or technician, and the certificate should be kept with the safety register.
every 120 months since the last jobLegal obligationArrêté du 25 juin 1980 modifié, art. MS 38France onlySourceverified on 12/09/2026 - 10
Carry out six-monthly tests of firefighting and rescue equipment
The fire safety instruction provides for periodic tests and checks of firefighting and rescue equipment at least every six months: general alarm, lighting, hose reels, releases, emergency exits. Proof is the register entry with date and observations; these tests do not replace the mandatory checks carried out by technicians or bodies on extinguishers, fire safety systems and electrical installations, but are an additional in-house functional check. Applies to establishments subject to the fire safety instruction.
every 6 months since the last inspectionLegal obligationCode du travail art. R4227-39France onlySourceverified on 11/09/2026 - 11
Check monthly that emergency lighting switches to operating mode
Once a month, check that self-contained emergency luminaires switch to operating mode, that the rest-mode control works and that the lamps light up. The operations and results are entered in the safety register. Applies to ERP fitted with emergency lighting, whether self-contained BAES/BAEH units or a central source; in workplaces that are not ERP, emergency lighting is covered by the six-monthly tests of art. R4227-39. Cadence to be confirmed on the cited source.
every month since the last inspectionLegal obligationArrêté du 25 juin 1980 art. EC 14France onlySource
In Germany this product has no planned checks: the ones listed apply to other countries.
In Switzerland this product has no planned checks: the ones listed apply to other countries.
In Austria this product has no planned checks: the ones listed apply to other countries.
In United Kingdom this product has no planned checks: the ones listed apply to other countries.
In Spain this product has no planned checks: the ones listed apply to other countries.
In Portugal this product has no planned checks: the ones listed apply to other countries.
In United States this product has no planned checks: the ones listed apply to other countries.
In Other country this product has no planned checks: the ones listed apply to other countries.
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