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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When we think of fire safety equipment, the obvious answers are fire extinguishers, detection systems, and evacuation routes. However, there are a number of things you can install in or around the building to reduce the risk of a fire, and to enable you to deal with one should it ever occur. Car park barriers are an effective tool to reduce fire hazards to your premises, and can also help to keep the building a safer place to be in general. We’ve listed the benefits of installing barriers or bollards to your premises below. Prevents trespassers One of the biggest…
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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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A fire alarm is the best way of ensuring you and your colleagues are alerted as soon as possible if a fire occurs within the commercial environment. Employers are legally obliged to protect the people who work within their premises from the threat of fire, and one of the best ways to do this is to have a fire detection system in place to alert all persons of the event of a fire outbreak. There should be at least one smoke detector fitted per floor, although for larger environments more alarms will be needed to ensure everyone within the premises is…
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If you’re a business owner, then your top priority undoubtedly is to keep your commercial premises safe from electrical fires. Electricity is one of the major causes of accidental fires in commercial and residential buildings in UK, as each year over 10,000 electrical fires which are caused by faulty wirings or appliances occur. As we use electricity every day, it’s important that it is used correctly to avoid any dangerous consequences. So, here are some simple tips you should follow in order to prevent an electrical fire. Don’t overload power sockets Overloading sockets is one of the most common errors…
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Installing CCTV surveillance systems has been proven to significantly heighten the security of a commercial property, acting as a deterrent to potential offenders while ensuring your staff and customers feel safer in the building. According to the Home Office’s detailed findings from the 2013 Commercial Victimisation Survey: Second Edition, which discusses crime against businesses, retail units were one of a few commercial settings which experienced the highest rates of crime when compared with other business types in this sector. Therefore, the necessary security measures must be put in place as they will help to reduce the risk of violence and crime…
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Fire can occur in any company at any time and the duties of a responsible fire marshal can be vital. Their role is to assess risks which could lead to a blaze starting and take appropriate action if one does; in worst case scenarios, the actions of the marshal can be the difference between life and death. If you are thinking about becoming a fire marshal for your company, you must fully understand your duties and work within the framework provided by the organisation. The key requirements of a marshal are to: identify and report risks assess potential hazards fight fire…
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