Fire presents a significant risk to businesses. Not only can it seriously injure or even potentially kill employees and visitors, it can also damage and destroy buildings and equipment or stock. With this in mind it is important to make fire safety the number one workplace New Year resolution for 2022!
New Year Resolution 1: Identify potential fire replated workplace hazards
Your New Year resolution should include conducting a risk assessment to identify potential hazards and then putting measures in place in order to minimise the risk. There are a number of common causes of fire in the workplace including:
- Electrical issues, e.g., misuse or neglect of wiring
- Accumulated waste which can catch fire easily
- Smokers who discard cigarette butts or lit matches
- Poorly managed kitchens, particularly if they are used regularly and have electrical appliances
- Portable heaters placed too close to combustible furniture or fittings
- Bad storage of combustible materials e.g., flammable liquids, glues, solvents etc
- Arson or wilful fire-raising
New Year Resolution 2: Put in place good fire safety practices
To help prevent a fire starting in the workplace you should ensure you have in place good fire safety practices as well as identifying the potential hazards. These should include:
- Keeping the workplace tidy
- Regularly moving combustible waste
- Ensuring that ignition sources are kept away from combustible material, flammable liquids, or gases
- Keeping the use of flammable liquids to a minimum
New Year Resolution 3: Checking your emergency planning procedures
It is important that all businesses are prepared for an emergency, such as a fire. An emergency plan should clearly state what is to be done in the event of an incident/emergency.  It should also state the responsibilities of key employees and what they need to do.
You should also have a written evacuation procedure to explain what needs to happen in the event of a fire alarm being raised. For example, the location of fire alarm call points, extinguishers, exits and details of nominated persons along with their areas of responsibility.
Training is important, and all employees need to be familiar with the emergency plan. Once these emergency procedures are put into place it is most important, they are tested regularly, including carrying out a fire drill at least twice a year to ensure that it works, and people can follow it.
New Year Resolution 4: Get your fire equipment serviced
You need to identify which type of extinguisher you will need and where they need to be located, along with clearly visible instructions.
Fire extinguishers should be situated close to fire hazards, and you need to make sure that people can access them without being exposed to a risk. Those individuals that are most likely to use fire extinguishers should receive training on how to use them.
All equipment needs to be checked and serviced regularly to ensure it is in full working order. The British Standard for fire extinguishers recommends that every extinguisher receives a basic service annually, carried out by a service engineer.
It is also important to provide a method for detecting a fire quickly and raising the alarm. The warning system should be clearly heard throughout the premises and even provide enough warning for people to evacuate the building safely. Fire alarms should be tested at least once a week.
New Year Resolution 5: Check your escape routes & evacuation procedures!
All escape routes must be easily identifiable with both clear signage and instructions about the means of escape displayed. You should also provide instructions and training for employees; this can be done when conducting a fire drill.
Ensure that there are enough exits throughout the building and that they are in the right locations ensuring that in the event of a fire there is at least one free route available. Escape routes must be illuminated and free of any obstacles. Regular checks should be conducted to ensure this is followed.
You will also need to make arrangements to ensure the safe evacuation of everyone in your premises. The fire risk assessment should identify groups of people at risk, taking particular care of vulnerable groups or individuals such as people with disabilities.
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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.