Fire Safety Plans (MAP) for Shops and Retail Spaces
What counts when the space is open to the public for sales.
Why a retail space is different
Shops and retail spaces generally fall under Utilização-Tipo VIII. What sets the level of requirement is mainly the expected floor area and occupancy: a small street shop and a shopping-centre floor with hundreds of people have very different obligations, even selling the same thing.
Fire load also counts. A space with a lot of packaging material, textiles or flammable products in storage is assessed differently from a service shop with little stock on show.
When this usually becomes urgent
- Opening a new shop or retail space: activity licensing usually requires a MAP
- Refurbishment that changes the sales area, the layout or the exits
- A change of trade that raises the fire load, for example moving from services to selling furniture or household chemicals
- A failed inspection that flagged missing signage, emergency lighting or blocked evacuation routes
- Setting up the shop inside a shopping centre, which usually has its own requirements for the whole complex
What usually gets assessed
Extinguishers and, depending on the area, hose reels and automatic detection. Emergency lighting and exit signage sized for the occupancy. Enough exit width and number of exits for the expected number of people, with evacuation routes clear of displays and merchandise. In shops with a storeroom, the separation between the public area and the stock area. The exact risk category and specific obligations are set by a técnico autor.
Need to sort this out?
Frequently asked questions
Does a small street shop really need a MAP?
It depends on the risk category, which comes from the area and the occupancy. Small 1st-category spaces have minimal obligations, mainly maintenance and record-keeping; from the 2nd category a MAP becomes required. A técnico autor is who decides this.
If I'm inside a shopping centre, does the centre's MAP cover my shop?
Not entirely. The shopping centre has its own MAP for the common areas, but the tenant remains responsible for the inside of their shop and for following the complex's rules. Check with the centre's management what each tenant is required to have.
I changed trade but didn't do any building work. Do I need to revisit the MAP?
You might. If the new trade raises the fire load or the occupancy, the risk category can change even without building work. It's worth a check by a técnico autor.
This guide is general orientation and doesn't replace legal or technical advice. Your building's exact risk category and obligations are determined by a técnico autor registered with ANEPC.