Those responsible for fire safety in workplaces and other buildings to which the public have access can avoid fire incidents by adopting the right behaviours and procedures. Here we take look at five of the most important fire safety documents which should be on display in your work premises:

• Health and Safety Law Poster
• Health and Safety Policy
• Employers Liability Insurance
• First Aiders
• Fire Evacuation Arrangements

Health and Safety Law Poster

Employers must display the Health and Safety Executive’s health and safety law poster. The only alternative to this is to provide each and every worker in your organisation with a copy of an approved leaflet or an equivalent pocket card.  However, it’s much more effective, much cheaper, and far less work to display your health and safety law poster on a noticeboard where workers can easily read it.

Health and Safety Policy

It’s also good practice to display the company’s health and safety policy. Depending upon the size and type of the business this could run into hundreds of pages, so it isn’t really practical to display on a noticeboard in its entirety. However, what many businesses do is display the first part of the policy, the statement of intent. This lists the company’s aims for health and safety in a clear and simple way and is signed and dated by the person who is responsible for health and safety in the workplace.

Employers Liability Insurance

One or more valid copies of your employer’s liability insurance should be on display. This shows that their insurance is fully up to date, but it also shows much more than this. It shows employees and visitors that the business takes its health and safety considerations seriously.

First Aiders

Employers are required to make appropriate first-aid arrangements in the workplace. This means considering the particular circumstances of the workplace, the workers and the health and safety risks that may be present. For example, the arrangements for a small office will be quite different from a construction site where the health and safety risks are higher. One of the key things is to have fully trained and appointed first aiders and display these clearly on noticeboards. In the event of an accident, a trained first aider can be quickly contacted to give vital first aid whilst an ambulance arrives.

Fire Evacuation Arrangements

As well as first-aiders, it is crucial that a workplace noticeboard displays fire precautions and fire evacuation arrangements in the event of a fire. The information that should be provided should include:

• General instructions of what to do in the event of a fire.
• Where the nearest escape route is.
• The names of staff who are designated fire wardens / fire marshals.
• Maps / diagrams of where the nearest assembly points are.

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The information contained within this blog is provided solely for general informational and educational purposes and is not intended as a substitute for professional advice. Before taking any actions based upon this information, we advise the reader to consult any and all relevant statutory or regulatory guidance and where felt necessary to consult a qualified fire or industry regulation professional. The use or reliance on any information contained herein is solely at the reader’s risk.