Fire Safety Plans (MAP) for Offices and Service Buildings
What counts in an administrative workplace.
Why an office is different
Offices and service buildings are Utilização-Tipo III. The fire risk tends to be lower than in food service or industry, but the obligation still exists, and what sets the level of requirement is mainly the number of people working in the space and the building's height.
An open space with few people on the ground floor and a headquarters with hundreds of workers spread over several floors have very different obligations, even though both are offices.
When this usually becomes urgent
- Moving into new premises, especially a building shared with other companies
- Fit-out work: new partitions, meeting rooms, a data centre
- Growing the headcount above what the original design allowed for
- An inspection or internal audit that flagged a missing emergency plan or signage
- A client or tender requirement for up-to-date safety documentation
What usually gets assessed
Emergency lighting and exit signage, suitable extinguishers, and automatic detection in larger buildings. Evacuation routes and exits sized for the number of workers, clear of cabinets and boxes. Compartmentation of risk areas such as archives, data centres and electrical panels. In higher-category buildings, an internal emergency plan, a safety officer and drills. The exact risk category and specific obligations are set by a técnico autor.
Need to sort this out?
Frequently asked questions
Does a small office with half a dozen people need a MAP?
It depends on the risk category, which comes mainly from the headcount and the building's height. Small 1st-category offices have minimal obligations, maintenance and record-keeping; from the 2nd category a MAP is required.
I'm in a shared office building. Who handles the MAP?
The building as a whole has a MAP, usually the responsibility of the owner or the building management. Each company remains responsible for its own space and for following the common rules. Check with the building management what falls to each tenant.
We work from home most of the time. Does that change anything?
The obligation is tied to the space, not to the daily occupancy rate. As long as the office exists and can be used by the headcount it was designed for, the obligations stand. If the space has been reduced, the risk category can be reviewed 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.