Fire safety studies and Civil Defense reports from an accredited office
Preparing safety studies, risk assessments, and readiness reports per SBC and NFPA.
The engineering study is the foundation everything else rests on. Getting the occupancy classification, fire load calculations and egress routes right at this stage avoids costly redesign later and shortens the path to Civil Defence approval.
We begin by classifying the facility under the Saudi Building Code for fire protection (SBC 801), establishing the occupancy group and occupant load. Those two figures drive the number of exits, travel distances and the required capacity of suppression systems. Misclassification is the single most common reason drawings get rejected.
The study covers a fire risk assessment: stored materials, ignition sources, compartmentation between spaces, and the fire-resistance rating of structural elements in hours. For industrial facilities in Jubail and Dammam we add an assessment of flammable liquid and gas hazards to NFPA 30 and NFPA 58.
Findings are issued as a documented technical report for Civil Defence submission: the current state, the gaps against regulatory requirements, and a prioritised remediation plan. The report is written to be read by the reviewing authority directly, not as an internal document that needs translating.
For existing facilities renewing a safety certificate, we work from the current project file and identify what can be retained versus what must change, rather than starting over. That reduces both cost and operational downtime.
- Occupancy classification and occupant load
- Fire and hazardous material risk assessment
- Egress route and evacuation time analysis
- Technical report for Civil Defence submission
- Gap analysis for existing facilities
When do you need a fire safety study?
A study is needed whenever one of the factors Civil Defense builds its requirements on changes: the classification, the floor area, or the nature of the materials. In practice that means:
- A new project, before drawings go for approval.
- A change of activity or use, even if the building itself does not change.
- An extension, or subdivision of existing space.
- Renewing the safety certificate or the Civil Defense permit on Salamah.
- Outstanding Civil Defense observations that need a documented response.
Why the office has to be accredited
Technical reports on the Salamah platform are not filed by the owner: they are filed by a Civil Defense accredited engineering office, which signs them in its own name. Arvox is accredited with Civil Defense and licensed by the Saudi Council of Engineers for safety engineering, so we issue the report and follow its observations through to closure without handing that work back to your team.
Common questions about this service
Between one week for a small commercial facility and four weeks for an industrial complex, depending on the availability of architectural drawings and site access. We commit to a date after the first visit.