Blog
Notes from the field.
Product updates, opinionated takes on compliance, and the occasional behind-the-scenes.
Emergency lighting testing under NFPA 101: the monthly test proves nothing about the annual duty
NFPA 101 section 7.9.3 requires a 30-second functional test every 30 days, spaced 3 to 5 weeks apart, and an annual test of not less than 90 minutes on battery. Pressing the test button proves the lamp lights. Only the 90-minute discharge proves the battery carries the escape route.
Read postAHJ electronic reporting: what the third-party filing requirement means for your records
More US jurisdictions now require fire inspection reports to be filed electronically through third-party portals such as The Compliance Engine, with the first mandatory wave in June 2026. What that changes for contractors, what it does not change for building owners, and where the duty actually sits.
Read postInspection software for fire protection contractors: what to look for
What a fire protection contractor actually needs from inspection software: NFPA 25, 72 and 10 frequencies scheduled per device, offline field work, reports a customer can verify, and a record that survives an AHJ visit. The evaluation criteria, and the questions that separate real options from demos.
Read postNFPA compliance software: what the standards actually require of your records
NFPA 25, 72, 10 and 110 each specify what an inspection record must contain and how long it is kept. What that means when choosing compliance software, the record fields the standards name, and why most spreadsheet systems fail at the AHJ visit rather than at the inspection.
Read postGenerator testing under NFPA 110: weekly, monthly, annual, and the 3-year test
NFPA 110 sets the ITM schedule for emergency power supply systems: weekly inspections, a monthly 30-minute test under load at no less than 30 percent of nameplate, an annual load bank test where monthly loading falls short, and a 4-hour test every 3 years for Level 1 systems. The full schedule and the records that prove it ran.
Read postLockout tagout periodic inspection: the annual check OSHA 1910.147 requires
OSHA 1910.147(c)(6) requires an inspection of each energy control procedure at least annually, performed by an authorized employee other than the one using the procedure, with a certification recording the machine, date, employees included, and inspector. What the inspection covers and how to keep the certification defensible.
Read postASME B30 crane inspection intervals: frequent, periodic, and annual explained
How the ASME B30 standards and OSHA 1910.179 divide crane inspection into frequent (daily to monthly) and periodic (1 to 12 months) tiers, what the monthly documented checks must cover, the idle-crane rules, and where slings and hooks fit.
Read postSling inspection under ASME B30.9: initial, frequent, and periodic explained
ASME B30.9 and OSHA 1910.184 set three inspection levels for slings: initial on receipt, frequent each shift the sling is used, and documented periodic inspection at intervals set by service severity. The removal-from-service criteria per sling type, and the records that survive an audit.
Read postForklift daily inspection checklist: what OSHA 1910.178 requires each shift
OSHA 1910.178(q)(7) requires powered industrial trucks to be examined before being placed in service each day, or after each shift where trucks work around the clock. The pre-shift checklist, what takes a truck out of service, and how to keep records that prove the checks happened.
Read postFire extinguisher inspection checklist: monthly, annual, 6-year, and 12-year
What a fire extinguisher inspection involves at each NFPA 10 interval: the monthly visual check your own staff can do, the annual maintenance a certified technician must do, the 6-year internal exam, and hydrostatic testing. With a printable monthly checklist.
Read postNFPA 25 quarterly vs annual sampling: what actually gets tested at each interval
NFPA 25 specifies fire-sprinkler inspection, testing, and maintenance at different intervals: weekly, monthly, quarterly, semi-annual, annual, and multi-year. Here is exactly what gets tested at each frequency, with the specific sections of NFPA 25 that apply.
Read postOSHA 1910.179 monthly crane inspection: the exact checklist and what inspectors flag
OSHA 29 CFR 1910.179 requires monthly inspection of overhead and gantry cranes in US general industry. Here is the exact checklist, common findings from OSHA inspection reports, and the record-keeping OSHA cares about most.
Read postInspection checklist design: 12 patterns that survive an audit
Twelve concrete patterns we see fail audits and twelve that survive them. Covers checklist structure, skip-logic, photo evidence, signature blocks, version trails, and what auditors look for when they pull a record from two years ago.
Read postLifting equipment thorough examination: LOLER, OSHA 1910.184, and how the regimes compare
A side-by-side guide to the UK LOLER 1998 framework, US OSHA 1910.184 standards, and the ISO standards underneath. Inspection intervals, competent-person definitions, and what a defensible record looks like in either jurisdiction.
Read postNFPA 10 extinguisher ITM: monthly, annual, 6-year, 12-year
The working NFPA 10 inspection, testing, and maintenance schedule for US fire extinguishers in 2026. Monthly visual, annual maintenance, 6-year teardown, 12-year hydrostatic. What trips owners and what AHJs check first.
Read postNFPA 72 fire alarm ITM: the working schedule for US owners
Most NFPA 72 inspection failures come down to a small set of missed intervals. Here is the working monthly / quarterly / semiannual / annual / 5-year schedule for US building owners and AHJ inspectors in 2026.
Read postSprinkler sample testing: the 5, 10, 20, 50-year rule explained
Sprinkler sample testing under NFPA 25 catches more US owners off guard than any other ITM requirement. Here is the working schedule by sprinkler type and environment, with the field examples.
Read postNFPA 25 ITM: what building owners actually have to do
Most NFPA 25 gaps come down to a small set of misunderstood requirements. Here is the working summary for US building owners and facility managers in 2026.
Read postFrom TagIt to Hovermarks: why we rebranded
We're now Hovermarks. Here's what changed, what didn't, and why the new name does a better job of describing the product.
Read postWhat a defensible audit trail looks like in 2026
Insurers and regulators are getting more sophisticated. A spreadsheet with a date column doesn't cut it anymore. Here's what does.
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