When you are in a situation where you need to think about making sure that everyone in your building can leave safely in the event of an emergency, you'll find that there are several things that you need to keep in mind. No matter how large your company is, you must make sure that you have a good plan in order to ensure the safety of your employees, and you'll find that the more you think about it, the better you will be able to ensure the safety of the people involved, so make sure that you don't neglect this basic and important duty.
When you are considering the fire safety of your building, you'll find that you need to start early. Take the time to come up with a fire-risk assessment by thinking about all of the possible risks and dangers. Look at the equipment and look at the condition it is in. Think about what employees may be most at risk should the worst happen and work from there to reduce the risk as much as you can. You will also find that you can reduce the risks greatly by taking the time to think about things like waste management, storage and disposal, so think about how your work place handles those topics.
Make sure that you take the basic steps to ensure that you have all of equipment that you need to take care of your fire safety. This means making sure that you have enough fire extinguishers and fire alarms to cover the areas in question and that they all be functional. One real problem that many places face is that the equipment that they get needs to be regularly tested. For instance, all of the extinguishers need to be checked for pressure and good function, while fire alarms should be tested once a month to ensure that they will continue to sound.
When you are thinking about fires, always think in a worst case scenario and take the time to think about making sure that you and your employees know where you need to go when it comes to evacuation. You can make sure that this knowledge is wide spread by conducting drills on a regular basis and by making sure that it is in all of your employee handbooks and safety manuals. Make sure that all fire exits and the routes to them are clearly marked and make sure that the routes themselves are kept clear of anything that might impede quick traversal through them.
Take some time to make sure that you and your employees are up to date on what constitutes good fire practices and ensure that everyone is educated and aware of what the risks are!
Under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, it is a legal requirement that all businesses provide 'adequate fire safety training' to all staff. Precisely what 'adequate' means depends on the nature of each business and the fire hazards contained in its buildings. Importantly, the training provided must take account of the findings of the fire risk assessment and the fire safety consultant.
In 2004, Fire Brigades attended over 33,400 fires in commercial premises and costs including lost business earnings were estimated as being in excess of 2.5 pounds billion. Apart from schools, the warehouse and distribution sector accounted for the highest number of fires that cost over 250,000 pounds. If a fire safety consultant had been employed by many of these companies, the devastation could definitely have been lessened.
Warehouses present unique issues. They are often suited to allowing small fires to grow into towering infernos. They tend to have a significant quantity of combustible materials and are often sparsely occupied meaning that an outbreak of fire may go initially unnoticed. Once a fire does take hold, even fire-fighters can do little to contain it, often being hampered by high racking systems. With the utilisation of a fire safety consultant it is possible to minimise these risks, their expert opinion should always be heeded on matters of fire safety.
Good fire safety management in the warehouse is vital. This will ensure that risks are identified and controlled. Good housekeeping will keep combustibles and potential heat sources apart. Adequate fire training at work underpins all risk management. It raises awareness of the likelihood and consequences of ignition and establishes the good practice that all staff should follow. An effective consultant can ensure your members of staff are up to date on all matters of fire safety.
Initially, all staff should receive basic fire safety induction when they join the company. Beyond this, adequate training will deal with emergency procedures; fire prevention measures, what to do on discovering a fire and how to raise the alarm, these are subjects that will be covered by the fire safety consultant. Training in the identification and use of fire extinguishers and other fire fighting equipment should also be provided in line with specific company policy. All of these issues need to relate to the specific workplace in which the employees operate. A 'competent person' should conduct the training.
Where Fire Marshals are appointed, more comprehensive training must be given, the content of which will depend on their exact role. Roles may include helping visitors or disabled people leave the building, checking designated areas to ensure everyone has left, liaising with the Fire and Rescue Service, shutting down vital or dangerous equipment and assisting in routine fire checks and record keeping. Your consultant will be able to help define these job roles.
A good fire consultant will focus on the most common causes of warehouse fires which include arson, electrical faults, smoking materials and hot works. Subsequent training will allow workplace procedures to be followed and potential problems to be spotted early and reported to managers and supervisors. Warehouses often operate on a 24 hours basis and so adequate cover in terms of trained personnel with fire safety responsibilities is vital to achieving efficient fire prevention strategies.
The new regulations emphasise the need for training to be 'verifiable' and training should be repeated on a regular basis. As in any building, a holistic approach to fire safety will ensure that risks in warehouses are dealt with effectively. With the use of an efficient safety consultant it is possible to recognise potential risks early and put in place methods that will keep chances of fire to a minimum.
Both Alex Stacey & Thomas Pretty are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
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