Fire prevention and safety
Even if no one is hurt, a fire can wreck your business in a matter of minutes. Here is what you must do to assess and control the risk of fire.
Your risk assessment should answer these questions:
- What could cause a fire in your premises?
- What have you done to control or, better still, eliminate this risk?
- How can you detect a fire or smoke as early as possible?
- How will you alert people to a fire?
- How will you get them out of the building?
- How often will you test the alarms?
- What is the fire evacuation drill and how often should you practise it?
- What fire extinguishers do you need – type, quantity, location?
- Who will service and maintain the equipment?
- What signage do you need?
- Who is the responsible person(s) for this workplace?
To help you answer these questions, fire prevention officers from your local fire service can offer free fire safety advice before you make a big investment in alarms, extinguishers and signage.
List of UK Fire Brigades
When you do consult a fire security firm, make sure they are members of the Security Systems and Alarms Inspection Board (SSAIB). You can search for a contractor on the SSAIB website.
Read more in Business Link's guide to Fire safety and risk assessment.