Feature
Health & Safety
Five signs
it is time to review your fire safety provisions
By David Cant (pictured) director at Veritas Consulting
Under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, your business has a duty to put in place all reasonable measures to reduce the risk of injury or death in the event of a fire. Like every other aspect of workplace health and safety, the process begins with a risk assessment. But like every type of risk assessment, the fire safety assessment needs to be revisited regularly if safeguards are to properly protect workers in an ever-changing environment. There are no defined timescales for carrying out
reviews, but they must be “current”. Here are five tips to help you decide when the time is right for a reappraisal.
1. Rubbish is building up on site When rubbish is allowed to accumulate, the risk of a fire increases exponentially. The more rubbish, the greater that risk, and the size of any resulting blaze. It is vital that workspaces are kept clear of rubbish,
and is disposed of away from potential sources of ignition. You will need to offer staff a quick refresher on managing rubbish safely, and ensure that there are suitable disposal mechanisms in place for them to use.
2. Walkways and exits are obstructed If you notice that walkways and doorways are frequently blocked by equipment or debris, a new risk assessment is in order. Such obstructions could prove fatal in the event of a fire, preventing people from leaving a burning building. Obstructions must be managed with this worst-case scenario in mind. Again, the risk can be reduced by reminding employees
that fire exits and walkways must be kept clear for the safety of themselves and their colleagues. You should also check to ensure that fire doors are being opened and closed correctly to help limit the spread of a fire.
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3. Fire alarm problems If the regular fire alarm test (you do have one of those don’t you?) reveals faults that prevent the alert being raised, there could be other issues that also need to be addressed. Without a fully functioning alarm system, employees would become trapped in the building with potentially fatal consequences. You must have a fully working alarm system in place
at all times, so early identification of problems that are preventing the alert being raised is essential.
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