Neva Towers: Fire Safety Compliance Audit in a Class A Business Center

The Client

Neva Towers — a high-rise complex located in the Presnensky district of the Central Administrative Okrug (CAO) of Moscow, in the northwest section of the Moscow International Business Center "Moscow-City."

Situation

At the start of the audit, the fire safety condition in office spaces located in Moscow on 1st Krasnogvardeysky Drive was characterized as conditionally satisfactory. While basic requirements were generally met, a number of critical violations posed a threat to both property preservation and employee safety in the event of a fire.

Tasks

The goal of the audit was to assess the facility's compliance with fire safety regulations established by applicable legal acts and standards, as well as to develop recommendations to address identified violations.

The main tasks also included:

• Checking documentation and design solutions.
• Analyzing the state of fire protection systems.
• Inspecting evacuation routes.
• Evaluating the overall fire safety regime at the facility.

Solution

The object under review is a modern office center with a comprehensive infrastructure, including server rooms, warehouses, and common areas. Despite the presence of ventilation, air conditioning, and fire protection systems, key shortcomings were found in the integration and operation of these systems.

The characteristics of the facility reflect the high level of responsibility associated with fire safety, as the office is located in a multi-story building in the central business district of the city, where a significant number of people are in a confined space.

During the audit, our specialists inspected the following areas:

• Automatic fire protection systems, including alarms, notifications, and fire extinguishing systems.
• Evacuation routes and exits, ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements.
• Internal fire-fighting water systems.
• Primary fire-fighting equipment, including the condition of fire extinguishers.
• Fire resistance of building structures and partitions.
• Overall fire safety regime, including documentation organization, evacuation plans, and categorization of rooms.

The work included visual inspection of the systems, followed by verification of their functionality, analysis of documentation confirming compliance with regulatory requirements, as well as photographic documentation of identified violations.

Key violations found during the audit included:

• The absence of updated evacuation plans reflecting real changes in the layout of rooms.
• Unsatisfactory maintenance of fire extinguishers, including the lack of necessary documentation and required recharging.
• Non-compliance of materials and structures with fire resistance requirements. For example, the walls between office zones did not meet fire resistance standards.
• Inoperability of the automatic fire extinguishing system in the server room.
• Partial absence of fire safety signs and insufficient provision of primary fire-fighting equipment.

For the identified violations, administrative fines ranging from 300,000 to 800,000 rubles were foreseen. Additionally, in the event of a fire due to non-compliance with fire protection measures, criminal liability under Article 219 of the Russian Criminal Code could be invoked, which implies fines or imprisonment depending on the severity of the consequences.

Based on the identified violations, the following priority actions were recommended:

• Update all evacuation plans to reflect changes in the layout.
• Organize the maintenance of fire extinguishers through a licensed organization.
• Replace fire doors and walls to meet fire resistance requirements.
• Restore the functionality of the automatic fire extinguishing system in the server room.
• Equip all premises with primary fire-fighting equipment in accordance with standards, and mark their locations.

Audit Results