Step 1: The Fire Risk Assessment

The fire safety strategy for any and every business has to start with a comprehensive fire risk assessment. A fire risk assessment is a legal obligation and, by law, it must be carried out by a “competent person”. This can either be the “responsible person” (ie the employer, landlord, occupier, or manager of a business or property) or someone appointed by the responsible person with the relevant education, training, knowledge and experience to understand the principles of fire safety, ie a professional fire risk assessor.

If you aren’t confident that your knowledge of fire safety protocol is completely up to speed, the best course of action is to employ fire safety specialists, such as Flammatech. Our qualified assessors will visit your premises for a full fire risk assessment inspection and produce a comprehensive written report, detailing your company’s current fire safety status and any areas where it must improve to meet legal requirements.

Step 2: Fire Safety Training for Staff

The fire risk assessment should also identify any fire safety training issues or shortcomings among staff and put an action plan in place to address them.

As a bare minimum, every member of staff should know where fire exits are in their building, and the safest routes to those exits. This level of fire safety training can be easy to achieve, simply by carrying out regular fire drills and showing people where they should be going and what they should be doing every time the fire alarms go off.

Comprehensive fire safety training should also cover things like how to handle a fire extinguisher and which fire extinguisher should be used for which type of fire. This kind of training should include a practical element to it, so staff can be confident in their actions when they come to use equipment such as a fire extinguisher.
Find out more about our fire safety training here, or get in touch with Flammatech today to find out how we can help.

Step 3: Identify and Install an Adequate Fire Detection System

There are no two ways about it, early warning systems save lives. By law, you must have an adequate fire detection system and warning system that is appropriate for your premises and the nature of your business.

A comprehensive fire risk assessment will identify the type of fire alarm and smoke detectors you require and will also determine the most appropriate places to locate them.

Find out more about our Fire Detection Systems, or get in touch with Flammatech today to find out how we can help.

Step 4: Install Adequate Fire Protection Equipment

Again, the type of fire protection equipment, such as fire extinguishers, you need will vary according to your premises and the nature of your business. By law, you must have the appropriate equipment and train your staff on how to use them if necessary.

Find out more about our Fire Protection Systems, or get in touch with Firetec International Ltd today to find out how we can help.

Step 5: Carry Out Regular Maintenance and Testing of Fire Safety Equipment

You must carry out regular maintenance and testing to make sure:

1. All fire alarm systems are working
2. Emergency lighting is working
3. Fire extinguishers are full & working correctly
4. Any faults in systems and equipment are recorded
5. Automatic fire doors close correctly

Fire alarms and emergency lighting should be serviced twice a year by a competent technician.

Find out more about our Service & Maintenance, or get in touch with Firetec International Ltd today to find out how we can help.

Overall

By following these 5 steps, you can effectively protect your business from a fire. If you are short on time (like most business owners) and want a qualified and accredited company to work with you to manage that side of your business, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.