4 ways to automate fire exit checks

#1 - Simple checklist

Who it's for: Single-site venues where the manager runs the check themselves and wants the paper checklist on a phone.

What it is: A fire exit check confirms escape routes and exits are usable. This version is the tick-list of 8 checks, a pass/fail result, and a notes field. It covers routes clear of obstructions, exit doors openable and unlocked from the inside, exits not blocked outside, signage present, and emergency signage lit.

Available on: Basic.

In practice: A single-site bar checks its exits at open. The duty manager walks each escape route, confirms the rear exit opens freely and nothing is stacked against it outside, marks pass or fail, notes a delivery blocking the side exit to clear, and the check is logged.

Why it works: The list lives on the canvas, so the check covers every exit the same way. The notes field captures the recurring problem, deliveries or stock blocking an exit, that an unchecked route hides until it's too late.

Steps included:

• 1 checklist (8 inspection points)
• 1 pass/fail result
• 1 notes field

When to upgrade:

1. Rota staff run the check and don't all know what to look for
2. You want photo proof each route was clear
3. You run more than one site and want a named sign-off

#2 - With guidance

Who it's for: Venues where the check is delegated to whoever opens.

What it is: The simple check with a guidance note: walk the route a customer would take in an emergency, confirm every exit opens from the inside without a key, nothing blocks the routes inside or the exits outside, and the signage is present and the emergency lighting over it works.

Available on: Standard.

What it adds to the previous template:

1. The "walk it like a customer would" approach is spelled out
2. Staff check both the inside route and the outside of the exit
3. The check is consistent whoever runs it

Why it works: The guidance sits with the checklist, so a new starter knows to actually walk the route, not just glance at the doors.

Steps included:

• 1 guidance note (walk the route; unlocked, clear, signed, lit)
• 1 checklist (8 inspection points)
• 1 pass/fail result
• 1 notes field

When to upgrade: When a tick is no longer enough and you want photo proof (Fire Exit #3), or a named sign-off (Fire Exit #4).

#3 - With photo evidence

Who it's for: Venues that want proof each route was actually clear, not just logged.

What it is: The guided check plus a photo of each exit and route. A photo down a clear escape route and of the unlocked exit is proof it was usable on the day, and a record of anything blocking it that you flagged.

Available on: Standard.

What it adds to the previous template:

1. A photo of each exit and route, captured at the time
2. Proof the route was clear, or a record of the obstruction
3. A visual record tied to a real exit and time

Why it works: "Routes clear" is the easiest thing to tick without checking. A photo down the actual route proves it was walked and was clear.

Steps included:

• 1 guidance note (walk the route; unlocked, clear, signed, lit)
• 1 checklist (8 inspection points)
• 1 pass/fail result
• 1 notes field
• 1 photo of the exit and route

When to upgrade: When the check needs a named, dated sign-off so an audit can see who did it (Fire Exit #4).

#4 - With photo and signature

Who it's for: Multi-site groups where each site's fire exit checks have to stand up to a fire-risk assessment or insurer review.

What it is: The photo check plus a signature. The person doing the check signs to confirm every route was clear and every exit usable. For a group, that signature makes each site accountable for its escape routes.

Available on: Standard.

What it adds to the previous template:

1. A signature confirming every route was clear and exit usable
2. Named accountability for each site's escape routes
3. A complete record (checklist, photo, signature) an auditor or insurer treats as best practice

Why it works: Blocked or locked exits are a serious offence and a focus of any fire investigation. A signed, photo-backed record is the evidence that shows you kept routes clear.

Steps included:

• 1 guidance note (walk the route; unlocked, clear, signed, lit)
• 1 checklist (8 inspection points)
• 1 pass/fail result
• 1 notes field
• 1 photo of the exit and route
• 1 signature

When to upgrade: When you want Poppi to flag a blocked exit to the manager, or pull every site's checks into one report. Those versions are coming in the next post update.

How to pick the right version

You don't need to know our product to choose. Just answer three questions.

Is it just you doing the check, or do other people do it too?

If you do it yourself and know what to look for, a plain list is enough. The moment rota staff do it, the guidance needs to be on the screen. If only you check, #1 is fine. If anyone else does, start at #2.

Do you need proof, or is a record enough?

A record tells you the check was logged. "Routes clear" is easy to tick from memory. If you want proof the route was walked and clear, #3 adds a photo.

Does someone need to sign off the checks?

In one venue, the record speaks for itself. Across sites, an auditor or insurer wants to know who confirmed each. If no sign-off is needed, #3 is enough. If you run more than one site, #4 adds a signature.

Related reading

• Fire door check - the fire doors that protect these escape routes
• Emergency lighting test - the lighting that guides an evacuation
• Fire extinguisher check - the monthly extinguisher check

Frequently asked questions

What should a fire exit check include?

That escape routes are clear of obstructions, exit doors open easily and are unlocked from the inside, the outside of each exit is clear too, the signage is present, and the emergency lighting over the routes works. The aim is that anyone could get out fast, in the dark, without a key.

How often should fire exits be checked?

Routes and exits should be kept clear at all times, so a daily check, often part of the opening routine, is common, with the frequency set by your fire-risk assessment. This checklist works for that recurring check.

Why must fire exits be unlocked from the inside?

So people can get out without a key in an emergency. Locking or chaining a final exit while people are in the building is a serious offence and has caused deaths. The guidance and checklist make confirming this a required part of the check.

Why photograph the routes?

Because "routes clear" is the easiest item to tick without actually walking the building, and blocked exits build up gradually (a delivery here, stock there). A photo down each route (version #3) proves it was walked and clear on the day.

Where to go next

A fire exit only saves lives if it's clear and usable the moment it's needed, and obstructions creep in unnoticed. A recorded, photo-backed check turns it into something you can prove. The versions above move from a simple list to a signed photo record.

Five more versions are coming in the next refresh that bring AI into the check. Poppi can flag a blocked exit to the manager, and pull every site's checks into one report. Those need more review time and will land separately.

→ Build your own fire exit check on Pilla. The Basic plan unlocks the simple checklist today.