Is your business due a fire risk assessment?
The risks associated with fire is something which every type of business faces and this is why it is necessary to ensure that your fire safety procedures are up to date and that your fire-fighting equipment is as well.
A fire risk assessment can be carried out at your work premises by fire safety professionals and this will help you to determine if you are complying with the current regulations as set out by the government.
These fire risk assessments are fully insured and will always be conducted by qualified personnel, as approved by the British Fire Consortium and the Institute of Fire Engineers.
The fire risk assessors can draw on many years of experience in the fire service and so know the industry requirements inside and out. Therefore, if you decide your business needs a fire risk assessment you can put the safety of your workplace in the hands of experts who know what they are doing.
It does not matter the size of your business as risk assessments can be carried out on all types of work premises. Just ask for a quote today and benefit from a tailored assessment of the risks posed in your workplace. This could save you money in the long run and highlights any risks that could be jeopardising the safety of those who work for you.
Advice to residential care home owners
If you are responsible for the smooth operations of running a residential care home then it is imperative that you ensure the safety of the elderly and vulnerable people in your care. Many of these people will be disabled and unable to look after themselves so it is crucial that you carry out regular risk assessments on the premises.
A ‘Fire Safety in Residential Care Homes’ course is also something that you should really consider for the training of your staff. It is one thing to be trained in providing care and assistance to those living in these types of establishments but another to understand the complexities of an emergency evacuation or other dangerous situation.
These training courses are delivered for those working in this particular industry and so will be tailored to working in care homes and how to deal with people suffering from various conditions in the event of a fire or evacuation procedure.
As well as highlighting the standard procedures that should be followed during a safe evacuation, your staff will also find out more about reducing the level of risk in the care home and using the fire-fighting equipment available to them in an emergency. Evacuation Chair training is another area covered in the course.
Fire service reiterates need for working smoke alarms
Following the Southampton shop fire, which we detailed yesterday, the Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service have reinforced their fire safety directive that a building should contain a minimum of one fully working fire alarm on every floor.
The fire in the city centre on Thursday morning, where three people were treated for injuries sustained in the blaze, has led to this reminder from the fire service.
The fire service has also stressed that these working fire alarms should ideally be installed in all rooms apart from the bathroom and kitchen of a home. These exceptions are because the hot water steam and cooking smoke can set off false alarms.
Shaun Cheeseman, Watch Manager at St. Mary’s Community Fire Station, said:
“Your working smoke alarm will give you very early warning of a fire – but when it sounds, you will need to know what to do. Think about how you will call the Fire and Rescue Service. Your working smoke alarm will give you the warning and the time to get out, get the fire service out… and stay out.”
This advice could help to save lives so it is important for all home and business owners to take heed of these fire safety warnings.
What employees should do to reduce fire risk
While fire safety is often left to the professionals, certainly in the event of an emergency situation, there are things that all workers should know and do in order to ensure that their working environment is a safe place to carry out their daily tasks.
The day to day risks could be something like not leaving the bins too close to the building where arson attacks often take place. If the bin is full of combustible materials then it won’t take much to set it on fire. And then the fire could easily spread further.
Everybody can help to make the office safer, by ensuring that escape routes are not blocked off and fire fighting equipment like extinguishers are not being used as door stops or hidden under business materials or stuffed in a cupboard somewhere.
It is important to make sure that wires are not left exposed and that any ineffective electrical equipment is reported to the technical staff who can deal with anything that could start a fire in the building.
There are many more things that can be done, although it is imperative that certain members of staff are sent on fire training courses to be able to effectively carry out the role as fire warden for the organisation.
The real need for fire warden training
You may or may not be aware but fire wardens, or fire marshals as they are also known, are a must for all kinds of organisations as they can prove to be of immense help in any such hazardous fire situation.
A fire warden should be appointed to take care of all your fire related needs in order to satisfy current regulations pertaining to fire safety as well as ensuring that your employees can work in an environment where fire risks have been somewhat reduced.
Fire warden training courses are now available up and down the country where you can send a competent member of staff to be trained in fire safety and how to carry out the fire marshal role to the high standards that are required.
The fire warden you have appointed to be responsible for emergency situations will be trained by experienced professionals who have served in the fire services themselves, and with the know-how to deliver courses that will provide the person with everything they need. These courses are also conducted to ISO9001:2000 standards so you can have peace of mind that this training is the perfect fire safety solution for your business.