Backup fire safety action reminders for block managers

Fire risk assessments produce a list of actions with due dates for each block, and a missed action is a safety risk and a legal exposure. If you add about 15 new actions a month and diarising each takes 8 minutes, that's 120 minutes, 2 hours a month.

Each fire risk assessment action is recorded first in your management system or the block's fire safety file, with an owner and a due date, and the responsible person checks it. A Google Sheet is a backup list with columns for the block, the action, the due date and a tick showing it is in the primary record. A two-step Zapier automation turns each new row into a Google Calendar event with reminders. The software doesn't decide what the action is or whether it is done.

A block manager in Reading looks after 12 blocks, with about 15 new fire risk assessment actions arising each month. Each action is recorded in the management system first, then added to a sheet row for a backup calendar reminder.

The value here isn't monetary: it is a backup prompt behind the primary record, so the monthly value is set at nil. The reminders also save about 1.25 hours a month (5 minutes x 15 actions = 75 minutes), which isn't priced. Zapier's Free plan allows two-step Zaps and 100 tasks a month, so 15 a month fits. This assumes free Google accounts for Sheets and Calendar.

1. 1Record every fire risk assessment action first in your management system or fire safety file, with an owner and due date.
2. 2Name the responsible person for each block and agree who checks the action list each month.
3. 3Create a Google Sheet with columns for block, action, due date, owner and a tick showing the primary record is updated.
4. 4In Zapier, start a Zap on each new row and add one action: create a Google Calendar event on a shared calendar.
5. 5Test with a dummy row, and check the right date appears with notifications on.

• Never rely on this alone for a fire safety action. The primary record and the human check come first.
• Zapier can fail silently. Compare the sheet, the calendar and the primary record every week.
• Zapier's Free plan allows only two-step Zaps and 100 tasks a month. More steps need Pro: $19.99 (about £15) a month billed annually.
• A calendar entry isn't evidence that an action was done. Keep contractor certificates and completion notes in the block file.