Fire safety OSHA checklist — the extinguisher you can't reach in time
OSHA's fire protection rules come down to a few visible disciplines: portable extinguishers mounted, identified, charged, and — above all — reachable (29 CFR 1910.157); exit routes unobstructed and unlocked (1910.36–37); combustible materials stored away from ignition sources like heaters and electrical equipment; and the working space in front of electrical panels kept clear (1910.303(g)). Most fire citations aren't exotic — they're a pallet leaned in front of an extinguisher, cartons piled against a panel, a space heater parked between stacks of cardboard. OSHA Scan reads a photo of your facility and flags those visible gaps with the standard each may relate to. It is an AI-assisted first pass, not a fire marshal inspection.
- Extinguishers reachable in seconds
- Extinguishers charged and inspected
- Exit routes clear at all times
- Combustibles separated from ignition
What are OSHA's fire extinguisher requirements?
Under 29 CFR 1910.157, employers who provide portable extinguishers must mount them, identify them, and keep them readily accessible; inspect them visually every month; perform annual maintenance checks; and either train employees to use them or direct total evacuation instead. Travel distance matters too — for Class A hazards, extinguishers must be within 75 feet of employees, and 50 feet for Class B. The most-cited failure is the simplest: an extinguisher physically blocked by storage.
How far must combustibles be kept from heaters and panels?
OSHA doesn't publish a single universal distance — it requires combustibles to be controlled around ignition sources through its housekeeping, electrical, and fire prevention rules. In practice: portable heater manufacturers (whose instructions OSHA expects you to follow) typically specify 36 inches from combustibles; electrical working space under 1910.303(g) is generally three feet in front of panels and must never be used for storage; and NFPA guidance widely used to satisfy these rules works from the same three-foot logic. When in doubt, three feet and a marked floor zone is the defensible answer.
Can AI detect fire hazards from a photo?
It can flag the visible ones: blocked extinguishers, combustibles stacked against panels and heaters, obstructed exit routes, and storage in electrical clearances. It cannot read an extinguisher's gauge, check service tags, test alarms, or verify the written plans — those need hands and documents. Use the scan to catch storage creep between formal fire inspections, because storage creep is how most of these violations happen.