Feature
COVID-Proofing And The Dangerous De-Prioritisation Of Fire Safety
By Peter Lackey, Fire Manager, Johnson Controls
While most of us know somebody who has been robbed, few know people who have been directly impacted by fire. It goes without saying that this is a positive, but it has led to a blasé attitude among many – which in itself is a danger. Enter the Covid-19 pandemic – something which has impacted every one of us, upending almost every aspect of our daily lives – and it’s no wonder fire safety has fallen even further off the radar.
Take facility managers (FMs), who have been tasked with Covid- proofing offices, factories, warehouses and workspaces the world over. With new rules enforced every week, many FMs have struggled to find the time to focus on much more than the most immediate issues. But fire safety is always immediate. Ensuring the safety of people at work might be more in the spotlight than ever before, but the race to Covid-proof is letting other critical safety issues fall by the wayside.
When it comes to businesses, the truth is that fire detection systems and servicing and maintenance contracts are a grudge purchase at the best of times. This problem has only worsened over the past year. As businesses switched to remote working, servicing contracts dropped off the radar. With no employees around, fire alarms have gone untested, have missed upgrades or have even failed to sound. Upholding fire safety measures is both a moral consideration and a legal requirement, and businesses must treat it with the attention it deserves.
The Changing Nature Of Building Occupancy Every business has faced unique challenges in their response to the pandemic. We’ve seen some continue operating as usual, some pivot production to make face masks and hand sanitiser, while others have shut their doors for the foreseeable future.
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Those that remained open will likely have experienced considerable changes to workplace layouts, which may in turn have had adverse effects on fire safety – for example, fire doors being wedged open for ventilation, or because people don’t want to touch door handles; and new one-way systems that affect shared escape routes. What’s more, fluctuating staff occupancy levels mean there may not be enough fire wardens present should an alarm sound.
All of these changes have an impact. In the event of a fire, your staff and assets might not be as safe as you think. But there is a simple solution: fire risk assessments. The vast majority of companies have undergone a change of occupancy during the pandemic and, as a result, must review their current fire safety measures through a risk assessment.
This involves looking at a building’s people, processes, procedures, contents and technologies, from fire alarms to sprinkler systems, with the aim of addressing any faults. With occupancy levels and more changed for the meantime – and possible for the long- term too – it’s vital to update your risk assessments. Failing to do so could have severe reputational and financial repercussions, particularly if livelihoods are affected. Should the worst happen, it could also lead to insurers refusing any pay-outs from failing to secure the premises, leading to even more difficulties down the line.
Socially-Distanced Risk Assessments We often find that businesses lack staff with the appropriate training and skillsets in-house to conduct a sufficient fire risk assessment. But even with the current restrictions, there’s no reason risk assessments can’t be easily carried out by qualified third-parties.
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