Obligations in the field of fire protection in Slovakia ?

Fire protection is mandatory by law for all employers. In short, OPP includes training, documentation and subsequent regular preventive fire inspections performed by a professionally qualified person, technician or fire protection specialist.

Fire protection documentation most often contains: fire alarm guidelines, fire identification card, fire evacuation plans, fire regulations, fire book, documents on inspection of fire equipment, training record, fire safety solutions of the building and others.

Frequently asked questions:

Do we have to have OPP documentation?

Yes, fire protection documentation and regular inspections of the OPP must be based on the Act of the National Council of the Slovak Republic no. 314/2001 Coll. on fire protection is mandatory for every employer.

Exceptions are establishments which:

– employ a maximum of 5 employees

– do not perform activities with an increased risk of fire and do not have places with an increased risk of fire

– premises and buildings which are owned or used by a maximum of 100 m2

2. How often are OPP inspections performed?

Preventive fire inspections are performed

once every 3 months in common buildings and premises (eg commercial operation, medical facility, car service and others)

once every 6 months, in premises where only administrative activity is performed

once every 12 months in residential buildings, buildings and premises where only occasional work is performed (maintenance, inspection, repair)

3. How many fire extinguishers do we need?

The number of fire extinguishers is determined by a fire protection specialist in the solution of fire safety of the building, or additionally by an approximate calculation. The number and type of fire extinguishers depends on the size of the operation and the activities that are performed on the operation.

4. Does every employee need to be trained?

Yes, every employee (including a contractor and a temporary worker) must be trained, even if you do not fulfill the obligation to have fire protection documentation according to the first question.

5. Do we need a fire evacuation plan?

You need a fire evacuation plan in a building where the evacuation conditions are not easy, and therefore if the building has more than two floors above ground, if there are people in the building who do not know the building.

6. Can control come to us?

Yes, these inspections in the area of fire protection – state fire supervision are performed by the regional or district directorate of HaZZ. In the case of providing fire protection services by our company, we represent you directly at your inspection at every inspection.

7. Who conducts preventive fire inspections?

Thus, a professionally qualified person, a fire protection technician or a fire protection specialist.

8. What exactly are the employer’s responsibilities for fire protection?
9. (a) ensure that preventive fire inspections are carried out on buildings and premises and remedy any deficiencies found; the content and deadlines of preventive fire inspections shall be established by a generally binding legal regulation issued by the Ministry,
10. (b) ensure that fire protection measures are complied with in places with an increased risk of fire, in activities involving an increased risk of fire or at times of increased fire risk, as well as measures to ensure fire protection at events in which a large number of fires take part; persons; measures, places and activities with an increased risk of fire, time with an increased risk of fire and events in which a larger number of persons participate, shall be established by a generally binding legal regulation issued by the Ministry,
11. c) identify places with an increased risk of fire and mark them with appropriate orders, prohibitions and instructions in accordance with a generally binding legal regulation issued by the Ministry,
12. d) ensure the implementation of fire protection measures during non-working hours set out in a generally binding legal regulation issued by the Ministry
13. e) provide training and verification of knowledge on fire protection of employees and persons who, with the knowledge of a legal entity or natural person-entrepreneur, reside in its premises and premises; the content, scope, deadlines of training on fire protection, the definition of the circle of persons subject to training and verification and the method of verification shall be established by a generally binding legal regulation issued by the Ministry,
14. (f) draw up, maintain and maintain fire protection documentation in accordance with the actual condition and the need to address the fire safety of buildings and premises; the types of documentation, its content, purpose, method and need for its elaboration and storage and the deadlines for its control shall be established by a generally binding legal regulation issued by the Ministry,
15. g) to enable the body performing state fire supervision and the municipality to enter the buildings and premises for the purpose of checking the fulfillment of obligations in the field of fire protection, to provide it with the required documents, fire protection documentation and related documents and information,
16. h) comply with the measures to eliminate the identified deficiencies imposed by the body performing state fire supervision or the municipality within the deadlines specified by them,
17. i) operate technical equipment and technological equipment from the point of view of their fire safety according to the conditions established by a generally binding legal regulation issued by the Ministry and in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions, 3a)
18. j) determine and have at their disposal the fire technical characteristics of products and substances and the principles of their safe use and storage, if it is their manufacturer,
19. k) ensure that the requirements for fire safety of buildings are addressed and complied with during the elaboration of project documentation for buildings, during the execution of buildings and their use, as well as when changing the use of buildings; the requirements for fire safety of buildings during the design of buildings, construction, use of buildings and changes in the use of buildings shall be established by a generally binding legal regulation issued by the Ministry,
20. l) to ensure that the fire safety of the building or its part is not reduced during the change of use of the building, 4) the safety of persons or the intervention of fire brigades is made more difficult,
21. m) ensure regular cleaning and inspection of chimneys; ensure professional inspection of chimneys by persons with professional competence5) before connecting the fuel appliance to the chimney, replacing the local fuel appliance with a central heat source or floor heat source, changing the type of fuel and after construction modifications on the chimney body; details on the cleaning of chimneys and the performance of their inspections, on the deadlines for their cleaning and performance of inspections, as well as on the performance of professional inspection of chimneys and a model certificate of chimney cleaning and confirmation of professional inspection of chimney

1. n) comply with the technical conditions and fire safety requirements for the installation and operation of fuel appliances, electrothermal appliances and central heating equipment and for the construction and use of chimneys and flues and ensure that the chimney is labeled; technical conditions and requirements for fire safety in the installation and operation of fuel appliances, electrothermal appliances and central heating equipment and in the construction and use of chimneys and flues and the model of the chimney label shall be established by a generally binding legal regulation issued by the Ministry,
2. o) comply with the requirements for fire safety laid down in a generally binding legal regulation issued by the Ministry when handling flammable substances and combustion-promoting substances, with technical means containing flammable substances or combustion-promoting substances, as well as when storing and storing them;
3. p) ensure the fulfillment of the established duties and specified tasks in the field of fire protection by persons who have the required professional competence or special authorization.
4. r) procure and install in buildings, facilities and premises with regard to the risk of fire suitable types of fire equipment, extinguishing agents, firefighting equipment, material means of fire protection, operate them in working order, ensure their inspection and maintenance by a person with professional competence , if so provided by this Act, to keep and keep documentation on their operation; properties, conditions of design, installation, marking and operation of fire equipment and properties and conditions of operation of firefighting equipment, material means of fire protection, including conditions to ensure their operability and conditions under which it is possible to temporarily not operate said equipment, control content including deadlines, scope of maintenance, the method of keeping documentation on their operation, models of documents on maintenance and inspection of these facilities shall be established by a generally binding legal regulation issued by the Ministry,
5. s) marking and maintaining permanently free escape routes, escape exits and intervention routes, boarding areas and access to them, as well as access to the closures of electricity, gas, water distribution facilities and fire equipment,
6. (t) tolerate the location of signaling or alarm equipment used for fire protection purposes for adequate replacement; the provisions of special regulations on damages are not affected by this,
7. u) to maintain the sources of water for fire-fighting in such a condition as to ensure the possibility of pumping it,
8. v) to carry out a fire alarm at least once every 12 months in the premises of a legal entity and a natural person-entrepreneur in which the conditions for evacuation of persons are not simple; the principles of assessment of buildings in terms of the conditions of evacuation of persons shall be established by a generally binding legal regulation issued by the Ministry,
9. (w) set up and equip the required number of fire alarm systems; the conditions of establishment and equipment and the number of fire alarm systems shall be established by a generally binding legal regulation issued by the Ministry,
10. x) prepare, on the basis of a decision of the Regional Directorate of the Fire and Rescue Corps (hereinafter referred to as the “Regional Directorate”), an analysis of the risk of fire in its buildings and premises and establish a fire brigade on its basis, if so decided by the Regional Directorate,

1. (y) establish fire patrols and ensure the performance of their tasks and training; the types of fire patrols, their tasks and the content and scope of the training and the deadlines for its implementation shall be established by a generally binding legal regulation issued by the Ministry,
2. z) notify without undue delay to the relevant district directorate of the Fire and Rescue Service (hereinafter referred to as the “district directorate”) of any fire that has occurred in buildings, premises or things in its possession, administration or use.