Fires present one of the most serious health and safety risks for office employees today, with 253 fatalities in England for the year ending March 2019. Just 3 years ago, the Grenfell Tower fire took 72 lives, and injured hundreds more.
The elements should never be underestimated, and good fire safety is a cornerstone to good health and safety practices. Often, it is a lack of preparedness that accounts for injuries, damages and fatalities.
The responsibility lies with property owners, landlords, occupants and all other role players who have an active role in maintaining facilities – such as facility managers, building managers, managing agents and risk assessors – to take all possible steps to improve fire safety and reduce potential risks.
Your approach to improving office fire safety should involve four key elements: eliminating hazards, equipping your office, and identifying possible sources of trouble, and creating an emergency action plan.
Eliminate Workplace Hazards
The first step to improving workplace safety is to reduce hazards. Appliances such as space heaters are notorious for causing fires in the workplace, and alternative solutions should be sought to reduce the risks that they pose. Overloading plug sockets and extension cords are another potential problem area, and good electrical practices should be implemented around the workplace.
Ensure that your office is a smoke-free zone, it is a legal requirement. Staff smoking rooms are not allowed. Designated smoking areas must comply with building regulations.
Do Not Ignore Signs of Trouble
If there are any burn marks, if an appliance or cord feels hot to the touch, if there is a burning smell when an appliance is in use, or if breakers trip when a device is in use – unplug and remove that appliance from your working area immediately.
Often, it is ignoring these danger signs that leads to trouble. A large fire can start from a small spark, so be quick to act when appliances show the danger signs.
Equip Your Office
Smoke detectors, fire extinguishers and first aid kits should regularly be checked. Your safety equipment must be of good working order, and staff should have a solid understanding of how they work in case of emergencies.
A fire extinguisher’s primary purpose is to assist in clearing an evacuation route during an emergency. Its secondary purpose is to put out small fires. Check the date stamped on the cylinder body, and ensure that fire extinguishers are replaced before their expiration date.
Create an Emergency Action Plan
One of the most important things you can do is be prepared. Understanding your action plan could save a colleague’s life.
Every organisation must have an emergency action plan, and each employee receive training at the beginning of their employment, including methods of notifying colleagues in the event of an emergency, evacuation routes and exits, procedures for assisting those with disabilities, accounting for employees and rescue or medical procedures.
Regular refreshers should be given when necessary, to keep employees up-to-date with this action plan, and remind them of their responsibilities in case of an emergency.
Bring in Professional Support
Ensuring that statutory obligations are fulfilled is mandatory.
Statutory requirements for electrical testing require landlords and agents to conduct testing every five years. The onus is on the landlord to ensure that tenants have access to a report of this testing, and faults must be conducted by a competent and qualified person within 28 days of the initial inspection. Writing confirmation of this work being conducted must be provided.
Upgrading fire and security systems is another way to ensure that your business is doing everything it can to ensure that risks are minimized.
Good maintenance practices, with a partner such as Voltix Services, will reduce the risk of electrical oddities becoming major risks. Efficient building maintenance is not only a statutory requirement but also a moral obligation. Voltix Services specialises in maintaining buildings to meet and exceed these requirements, and providing the traceable documentation required by the HSE in the unfortunate event of an accident. This eradicates the risk of falling foul of regulations and the subsequent consequences. Contact us today to set up a consultation.