While fire safety should be a concern for all people no matter the building they are in, the need for excellent fire safety provisions increases tenfold when it comes to fire safety in schools and colleges. Although you should never take the responsibility of fire safety in your school or college entirely upon yourself – you should hire a certified fire safety professional to ensure the premises meet regulations – it pays to understand what goes into guaranteeing the safety of your pupils and staff so you can react appropriately in an emergency. Moreover, if your school or college is…
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To ensure that you’re fully prepared in the event of a fire starting on your premises, it is of the utmost importance for you to have installed appropriate fire safety signs around the building so that everybody knows what to do in an emergency. In this month’s article, we’ll be looking at what each one of these signs means to help you give your property the highest level of security when it comes to fire safety. Prohibition Signs These signs are designed to warn a building’s occupants of the potential fire hazards certain behaviours may encourage, and therefore prohibit said behaviour….
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Unfortunately, senses and mobility deteriorate slowly as people get older, making it increasingly difficult to do the things they found easygoing in their youth. Ultimately, this puts the elderly at greater risk of injury or worse if a fire started than the youthful. As such, it is of the utmost importance that we prepare our properties and businesses for the potential outbreak of fire adequately and thoroughly to ensure the elderly we care for remain in the safest hands at all times. In this article, we will be discussing the fire safety methods you should employ to increase the safety…
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Ensuring fire extinguishers are properly mounted in your property is essential in order to meet British Standards regulations for businesses and rented properties. The right location, the correct height and the appropriate accessories are all paramount when installing fire extinguishers. Where? Choosing the right location for installing your fire extinguishers can make all the difference further down the line, so getting it right is key. Ideally, fire extinguishers should be placed in a visible and easily reached location and along, but without obstructing, the evacuation route. By doorways and corridors, landings and lobbies are all excellent positions for your fire extinguisher….
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What is the Fire Safety Act? The Fire Safety Act (Regulatory Reform Order) 2005 states that any responsible person with a level of control over a business or commercial property must ensure that reasonable steps are made to ensure the risk of fire is reduced, and that anyone in the building is able to escape safely should a fire occur. Who does the act apply to? The act applies to anyone with control of a commercial premises, public space or structure. This can include the employer, manager, occupier of a premises, or anyone else with a level of responsibility within the…
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As a retail business owner, you have a responsibility to the public and your staff to reduce the risk of fire hazards, and to implement a clear fire evacuation strategy should a fire break out. As the owner of the premises, you must carry out fire risk assessments of your premises to ensure any hazards are identified and reduced as risks. You can also nominate a responsible person to undertake this task, providing they have a good understanding of what conditions could lead to a fire, what materials pose a fire risk, and the consequences should a fire break out. This…
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Protecting your business premises from fire is a priority for any employer, as the outbreak of a fire could not only be devastating for the business itself, but could also put the lives of employees and others in the building at risk. There are two types of fire protection: active and passive. Active protection takes the form of more commonly known fire suppressants such as sprinklers, fire extinguishers and detection systems, which actively seek to detect and fight fire should it break out. Passive fire systems, on the other hand, are always working, rather than having to be activated in…
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A reported 45% of major fires in businesses are attributed to arson attacks, seriously affecting the daily runnings of any premises. It’s important to ensure that your building and your staff are prepared for the risk of arson, and keep a vigilant eye out while on site. We’ve listed some precautionary measures all businesses can take to reduce their risk of becoming a victim of arson. Nominate a fire warden Nominate a member of staff to be responsible for fire safety around the office. This will include regular inspections that the fire risk assessment guidelines are being adhered to, fire…
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Warehouses have a high risk of fire, and due to the high quantities of stock they often hold, can also be a costly accident for businesses. The layout, and flammable goods often stored in warehouses mean a fire could easily start and spread throughout the whole building, so as a business owner it is important you ensure you know the risks, and take preventative steps to ensure your staff and the premises are safe. Risks: Many warehouses will use flammable substances, such as cleaning products Machinery used could develop faults that can lead to fires Smoking materials such as that from…
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Whatever your work environment, it is likely that you will have at least some flammable materials that need to be stored correctly, be it industrial chemicals or something as simple as cleaning fluids. It’s vital that all flammable substances are stored correctly and safety, and as the employer or building owner within a company it is your responsibility to ensure that this is done. The first thing to consider is if any of the flammable liquids you have can be replaced with non-flammable alternatives, reducing the hazard altogether. Often this will not be the case, so we’ve listed a few…
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