Fire safety precautions for your organisation

It is either the responsibility of the employer or a landlord to ensure that a business premise is not at risk from fire. All Fire risk assessment London based tests are legally required to be conducted regularly if your business or organisation has more than five employees, and a written record of this must be kept. This will help you ascertain which precautions you need to take to prevent fire and keep your staff and the public safe. Whilst the possibility of an accident curing can never be entirely eliminated, by identifying risks and hazards and then addressing them, you can reduce the likelihood of them occurring in the first instance.

What is a fire risk assessment in London?

This is a careful assessment of your premises and the people who use your building, establishing the ways in which a fire may break out, and in turn eliminating all risks that could have led to that potential fire. By understanding the operational practices of the business and the physical structure itself, you can build in safeguards and make procedural changes, if any potential hazards are highlighted. Fire risk assessment London should be reviewed periodically so that any significant changes in the premises or operations, can be assessed for any new risks. Assessments need to be conducted thoroughly and competently, a professional risk assessor being the ideal candidate for such a role.

Steps to carry out a fire risk assessment London

Identifying the fire hazard - Take care to avoid introducing sources of ignition, potential fuel sources and the presence of oxygen in combination, as these can significantly increase the risk of fire.

Identify people who are at risk - Look out for employees, contractors, or even visitors who might be in groups, or alone, in places that are highly risky, or close to substances or situations that are potentially fire hazardous.

Evaluate, remove (or reduce) risks - Consider fire hazards of your premises, and all humans that are exposed to the potential hazards. Now remove (or at least reduce) the probability of that risk resulting in an accident. Take all necessary actions to protect your premises and the people associated with it.

Record, plan and train - Record all your findings and all the precautions you have taken to remove or reduce risks. Chalk out a plan of how to prevent fire occurring and how to keep people safe. Train your staff on how to handle fire in event of emergencies.

Review and update - You must regularly review your fire risk assessment London and consider any changes in operation, adjusting your plan accordingly. You can also consider retraining staff to keep them well prepared for such situations.

One step to minimising the likelihood of fire and its potential consequences, is to invest in training for your staff on how to handle it, should it occur. It is a legal requirement that within an organisation there should be members of staff who are trained in fire safety procedures. Fire training procedures should include any actions that should be taken in the event of fire, distinguishing the various types of fire, and the type of extinguisher that should be used. New members of staff need to be given fire training, and all employees need to be told of any new fire risks. Fire training should be refreshed at least once per year for all employees.

Acufire UK is a specialist in the fire safety profession and conducts many fire risk assessments.  Our company is a member of the FPA, Safe Contractor and the Institute of Fire Safety Managers. We are highly experienced in carrying out fire risk assessment London in a variety of different premises, and to date have conducted thousands of fire risk assessment London. We also provide well-recognised fire training of differing levels to both private and public sector organisations. Contact us today to ensure the safety of your organisation and staff.