HVAC, fire safety, electrical and building tasks by frequency, with code references
Completed by ____________ · Year ______
| Standard | Governs | Anchor Intervals |
|---|---|---|
| NFPA 10 | Portable fire extinguishers | Monthly visual; annual maintenance; 6-year teardown (stored-pressure dry chem); 12-year hydro test |
| NFPA 25 | Water-based fire protection (sprinklers) | Wet gauges monthly, dry/preaction weekly; unsupervised control valves weekly; waterflow alarm quarterly; full ITM + main drain annually; internal pipe exam and gauge replacement every 5 years |
| NFPA 72 | Fire alarm systems | Annual test and inspection of the system; device-level tests on manufacturer/code schedules |
| NFPA 80 | Fire doors | Annual inspection and functional testing of fire door assemblies |
| NFPA 96 | Commercial cooking operations | Hood suppression system semiannual service; hood/duct cleaning per usage (quarterly typical for most operations) |
| NFPA 101 §7.9 | Emergency lighting | 30-second functional test monthly; 90-minute test annually |
| NFPA 110 | Emergency generators | Monthly 30-minute run test; annual load test and maintenance |
| ANSI/ISEA Z358.1 | Eyewash and shower equipment | Weekly activation; annual full inspection against the standard |
| OSHA 29 CFR 1910.37 | Exit routes and lighting | Keep exit routes free, exit signs illuminated; test and maintain emergency lighting (free access at all times) |
| ASHRAE 188 | Legionella risk management | Maintain a water management program where cooling towers, spas or complex water systems exist; routine treatment checks under the program |
Choose the systems your building actually has and the generator assembles a checklist grouped by frequency — weekly, monthly, quarterly, semiannual, annual, and multi-year — with the governing standard noted on each line. Facility type swaps in a few space-specific tasks: dock doors for warehouses, playground equipment for schools, automatic entrances for retail.
Put the printed sheet on a clipboard that lives where the work happens. Date and initial each line as it's done; a checklist nobody signs is a list, not a record. Weekly and monthly rounds suit in-house staff; the annual and multi-year rows are mostly contractor visits — schedule them at the start of the year rather than when something fails. The CSV export drops straight into a CMMS or spreadsheet if you track work orders digitally.
A default office building with all seven systems switched on generates 48 tasks: 3 weekly, 11 monthly, 8 quarterly, 5 semiannual, 17 annual, and 4 multi-year. Switching the type to a warehouse adds the quarterly dock-door and leveler round (49 tasks); a retail store adds refrigeration and automatic-door checks (50); a school swaps in playground and rigging inspections (50). The weekly round is about ten minutes — flush the eyewash, eyeball unsupervised sprinkler valves, check the diesel fire pump if one exists. The monthly round is a 30-60 minute walk if nothing turns up. The annual bucket is where budgets live: sprinkler ITM, fire alarm test, extinguisher maintenance, 90-minute battery test, backflow tests and the generator load test together typically run a few thousand dollars a year for a mid-size building, and skipping them trades a predictable bill for an unpredictable one.
NFPA 10 requires a visual inspection when an extinguisher is placed in service and at least monthly after that — anyone can do it, checking access, pressure gauge, tamper seal and condition. A certified technician must do a full maintenance check annually, stored-pressure dry chemical units need an internal teardown every 6 years, and most types need hydrostatic retest every 12 years.
A 30-second functional test every month and a full 90-minute test at least annually, per NFPA 101 (section 7.9). The monthly check catches dead batteries and burned-out lamps; the annual test proves the batteries can actually carry the load for the code-required duration. Write down the date and result each time — the log is what an inspector asks for.
The common cadence: gauges on wet systems read monthly (dry and preaction weekly), control valves checked weekly when unsupervised, waterflow alarms tested quarterly, a full inspection and main drain test annually, and an internal pipe examination plus gauge replacement every 5 years. Your water supply and occupancies can add requirements, so the annual ITM visit with a licensed fire protection contractor is the anchor.
Check monthly and expect to replace them every 1 to 3 months in most commercial buildings — the right interval depends on filter depth (2-inch and 4-inch filters run longer than 1-inch pleats), MERV rating, and how dirty the space is. A filter that has gray, matted media is overdue regardless of the calendar.
The durable spine is life safety: extinguishers, emergency and exit lighting, sprinklers, alarms, fire doors, and eyewash stations on their code-driven schedules. Around that sits the mechanical plant — filters, belts, coils, boilers, cooling towers — then electrical (generator runs, IR scans), plumbing (backflow tests, water heaters), and the envelope (roof, drains, sealant). Group tasks by frequency so the same person can knock out a whole monthly round in one walk.