The lion's share of a fire marshal's work concerns carrying out fire prevention checks. Since fire safety is a major area of attention for fire marshals, the positions of safety guard and fire marshal are often combined. Fire marshals are usually hired by other companies, requiring them to mainly be at that company's site. Fire marshals can also be hired for parties and one-off events.
- The tasks and responsibilities of fire marshals are:
- Checking work permits
- Checking the presence and quality of personal protective equipment (PPE)
- Ensuring compliance with procedures and regulations.
- Various other safety-related tasks
Fire marshals cannot handle large fires. They will have to leave that to the Fire Service (or actually to higher ranking Fire Service personnel). However, fire marshals can provide first aid, they know how to fight an incipient fire and evacuate a building, and they are experts in carrying out fire prevention checks.