Keeping employees, visitors, and workers safe is a legal and moral obligation for business owners, health and safety officers, and the dedicated ‘responsible person’, but workplace fire safety can be a confusing issue.
Different regulations, options, and innovations can be hard to keep on top of. We’re here to help with the essentials you need to know to keep your workers and workplace fire safe.
So, let’s start with the big question: who is responsible for fire safety in the workplace? According to the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (FSO), which is the main piece of legislation governing fire safety for all non-domestic premises in England and Wales, there will always be “a responsible person.” Depending on the nature of the building, that person could be the building owner or Landlord, or it could be the employer who is, according to the FSO, “the person employing the employees.”
Put in the simplest terms, the person responsible for fire safety in the workplace is the highest-ranking person within the company.
They are responsible for ensuring that all procedures are followed to the letter in terms of preparations and mitigating the risk of workplace fires while also ensuring that procedures are followed when it comes to training and real-life evacuations. There may be people within the company who are given certain responsibilities, such as health and safety officers or fire marshals, but the ultimate responsibility lies with the highest-ranking member of the business.
If a person is in control of the building, they are in control of fire safety.
As we touched upon previously, one key role for the responsible person is to ensure that the right fire safety equipment is in place to deal with a fire should one occur. Some items are compulsory under legislation, others are optional but highly effective, so it’s important to understand what is needed depending on the nature of the business and the building.
To accurately assess what is needed, a fire risk assessment must be carried out at the premises by a competent person, who must have:
- Knowledge of fire safety regulations and best practices
- Understanding of fire risks and how fires start/spread
- Experience in assessing hazards and implementing controls
- Ability to identify people at risk and recommend fire safety improvements.
Whilst it is possible to carry out your own fire risk assessment using government guidance, we would always recommend employing a professional fire risk assessor to complete this assessment.
Workplace fire safety essentials
There are, of course, different requirements and suitable equipment for each industry. If you are unsure on exactly what you need, or should have, then a qualified fire risk assessor can help you establish and understand the risks of your workplace and provide advice on how to combat them with specific fire safety products or equipment.
There are some key essentials that every workplace needs, regardless of whether it is an office, warehouse, factory, or public building.
Fire extinguishers
Fire extinguishers are the most common fire safety solution to manage fire risks. According to BS 5306-8:2023, it is recommended to have at least two Class A fire extinguishers per floor in most non-domestic buildings.
The number and different types of extinguishers required will depend on the size of your premises and the fire risks related to your office, factory, or warehouse.
There are lots of fire extinguisher options out there, including foam, powder, carbon dioxide, wet chemical, PFAS-free foam, Lith-Ex, water and water-mist to name the common ones, and that’s before you start factoring in the different sizes and finishes!
Thankfully we have a useful blog that details which fire extinguishers are suitable for each type of fire. From this, you’ll be able to judge which would best suit your workplace and the specific fire risks.
A quick summary is as follows:
- Carbon Dioxide (CO2) Extinguisher: Ideal for electrical risks and where flammable liquids are in use, with the exception of cooking oils, It is harmless to delicate equipment and materials
- Foam Fire Extinguisher: A good multi-risk solution. Can be used on wood/paper fires (A Class) and also flammable liquid fires (B Class).
- Wet Chemical Extinguisher: Especially effective on cooking oil fires. Also able to tackle A Class (wood, paper, etc) and B Class (flammable liquid) fires.
- Water Fire Extinguisher: An effective extinguisher for A Class fires (wood, paper, etc.)
- Powder Fire Extinguisher: Can tackle most fires which involve wood, paper, flammable liquids and electrics. Some Powder Fire extinguishers can also be used on vehicle fires.
Lithium-ion battery fire fighting products
Lithium-ion batteries power a vast and increasing range of devices we use daily, including smartphones, laptops, power tools and electric vehicles. While these batteries offer convenience and efficiency, they also carry a potential risk of fire when overcharged, improperly stored, damaged or connected to incorrect chargers.
A single battery malfunction can quickly escalate into a devastating fire, putting lives at risk and causing irreparable damage to your business.
There are multiple Lithium-ion battery fire fighting products that can help reduce the risk of battery fires, such as storage bags and suppression granules, and products that can help fight the fires once they’ve started.
Fire blankets
The majority of workplaces have food preparation areas, and no workplace kitchen or canteen is complete without a fire blanket to smother flames should the need arise.
Not just used for kitchens, larger sizes of fire blankets can also be used to smother flames on a person, for instance, if their clothes have caught fire.
A fire blanket is an adaptable and flexible piece of fire-fighting equipment. Available in a range of sizes and either a hard or soft case, the blanket is accessed simply by pulling on the fabric tabs.
Fire alarms
Fire alarms are essential for every building in a business and should be tested weekly.
According to BS5389-1, the standard for fire detection and fire alarm systems for buildings, “national building regulations require fire detection and fire alarm systems to be installed in many buildings at the time of construction. In addition, legislation requires that, where necessary to safeguard relevant persons in case of fire, existing premises are equipped with "appropriate fire detection and fire alarm systems."
In the context of BS 5839-1, fire detection and fire alarm systems include devices ranging from those comprising only one or two manual call points and sounders to complex networked systems that incorporate a large number of automatic fire detectors, manual call points and sounders.
There are also a wide range of fire alarm systems with both battery and mains power operation available to suit individual business needs, depending on the nature of the business and the premises. Then there are visual alarms which are extremely useful for warehouses and factories as they offer a dual warning with the use of red LED technology as well as an audible alarm to draw the attention of all employees in its range.
Fire exit signs
Fire exit signs are essential for all businesses to guide users to the correct exit.
In the case of a genuine fire, people’s natural instinct would be to use the usual exit when the fire alarm sounds, which can lead to awful consequences. As the responsible person, you can minimise these risks as much as possible with clear, easy-to-follow signage which can direct people to the safest route.
Fire safety logbooks and cabinets
Each workplace has essential documentation relating to fire safety that should be kept secure.
It is crucial to keep all documents that a fire officer would need, such as Fire Safety Logbooks, fire equipment maintenance records, and plans relating to the building, in a safe place.
Logbooks and lockable fire safety document storage cabinets can be bought online or in stores to ensure that all your information is in one place.
The Firechief® range includes high-performance fire extinguishers, fire blankets, first aid kits, lithium-ion fire extinguishers and the Kitchen Stove Guard. For more information, call us on +44 (0)330 999 0019 or email sales@firechiefglobal.com.
Disclaimer
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.