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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These days, it seems as though all technology is going wireless. From wireless headphones and speakers to printers and wireless charging, we’re doing everything we can to ditch the cables. When it comes to fire alarms, we’ve had this choice for a good while now, and many homes and businesses have made the switch. Before making this decision, however, there are various factors that need to be taken into account, for example, the overall cost and where the alarms will ultimately be placed, as they will affect your end-decision. So, to help you make that decision, the team at Protect &…
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Though every house is legally obligated to contain a fire alarm, many people sleep in their beds blissfully unaware that their fire alarm is past its expiration date — leaving their home and their families at a considerably higher fire risk. In fact, fire alarms need to be replaced at least every ten years, starting from the manufacturer date. This article is going to explain the reason for this and how you can check when your fire alarm needs to be replaced. Why Do Fire Alarms Have A Ten-Year Expiration Date? It’s first important to explain that fire alarms have not…
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As a landlord, you have a number of responsibilities to your tenants that are enforced by law. Anyone that has lived in rented accommodation will know the merits of having a landlord when the toilet decides it won’t flush anymore or the boiler decides it’s time for a rest, but landlords also have a lot of other responsibilities that are a little more subtle. Chief among these is their responsibility to ensure adequate fire safety is provided in the accommodation. This month, we’ll be looking at some of the key areas of fire safety landlords need to worry about when renting…
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Many business owners struggle to know where they stand when it comes to the law and fire safety. No matter how big or small your business is, you are legally required to have at least two people trained as a fire marshal to guide other staff members in the event of a fire. You can be trained as either an appointed person (or ‘deputy’), fire warden or fire marshal. Depending on how large your place of work is, the role of a fire warden and marshal may be given to two people or split across multiple people. The difference in roles…
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Although this is not something which is commonly thought about, fire extinguishers, like many pieces of health and safety equipment, have a lifespan. Over time, fire extinguishers which are non-gaseous will eventually corrode. That is, the contents of the extinguisher itself will eventually corrode the canister or body and also, the extreme pressure of the contents will eventually weaken the seams of the body, despite the fact that it’s made of robust metal. Fire extinguishers also require proper maintenance and if this isn’t carried out properly, then things such as valves, seals and levers can become stuck during use, posing a…
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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 order…
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Fire alarms and smoke detectors are usually things that we take for granted. Most of us have these useful life-saving devices installed in our homes and places of work, and although we rely on them to work when we need them, few of us actually know much about fire alarms and smoke detectors. Here at Protect & Detect, we want to make sure all property owners are fully informed about the fire alarm systems in place so here is a little about their history to get you started. The History of Fire Alarms In the old days, fire alarms were very…
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Here at Protect & Detect, through the means of our blog, we’ve made it our mission to reduce fire risks in both domestic and commercial situations, offering tips and advice on how to minimise or eliminate hazards by drawing on our extensive experience in the industry. Now Christmas time is upon us, we feel it’s important that we alert our readers to some of the main fire hazards that we might experience in our home. During the month of December, it’s estimated that around 20 people a day lose their life as a result of a domestic fire, something which could…
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In the event of fire, a comprehensive emergency evacuation plan and procedure is an indispensable part of ensuring everyone escapes danger safely and quickly. To ensure that your business meets all the most stringent fire safety rules and legislation, you’ll need a thorough evacuation plan in place. This month, we’ll be looking at just some of the key areas you should consider when forming your own evacuation procedure. Identify an Assembly Point When you evacuate your premises following the fire alarm sounding, you need to head to an agreed assembly point. This should be far enough away from the building that…
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