Dental Practices
The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 is the primary law that governs fire safety in dental practices in England and Wales.
As with any property that falls under this order, your dental practice must have a responsible person, whether that’s the employer, building owner or occupier to manage fire safety risks within that property.
Due to the nature of the property, fire risk assessments may be carried out in
conjunction with wider health, safety and patient protection assessments, or
they may be carried out in isolation.
Dental Practice Fire Risks
Based on the conclusions reached in your fire assessment, responsible persons must ensure that they’ve taken adequate steps and appropriate measures to ensure that all reasonable precautions have been taken to reduce the risk of fire; thereby mitigating the risks posed to the property and more importantly, the lives of those therein.
A dental practice fire risk assessment must pinpoint what could cause a fire i.e., heat sources or flammable liquids, and the people that may be at risk within a property – such as dentists, nurses, receptionists and patients.
The responsible person will then need to complete the assessment and document the risks involved, such as:
- The sources of ignition.
- The chances of arson/wilful fire-raising.
- Where and how portable heating and lighting equipment are used and stored.
- Ensuring that all fire escape routes are kept clear.
- How dangerous substances are stored.
- What measures would limit thespread of fire.
- Understanding manual fire extinguishing equipment with training.
- Sprinkler maintenance.
- Ensuring patients can be evacuated safely by staff.
Challenges of Fire Safety in Dental Practices
Patient Safety
Due to the nature of the premises, there will always be patients on the premises during opening hours. This means any risk assessment must take into account the dentists, nurses and patients that may be present at all times.
Sources of Ignition
In a typical dental practice, there is likely to be many sources of ignition, such as sterilisation equipment, high-powered lighting, dental appliances and much more, that you’ll need to bear in mind.
Flammable Liquids & Materials
The likes of biological agents, anaesthetic gasses and chemical substances are all required in the practice of dentistry and this means they will be onsite at all times.
How Can the FireArrest App Help Your Dental Practice?
The FireArrest app has been devised to offer dental practices and responsible persons complete accountability for every phase of a passive fire protection project within a public space, such as a dental practice.
Our innovative system has a range of pioneering features all designed to offer insight and detail to ensure that any responsible person, be it within a dental practice or a third-party expert, can accurately view the data and ensure the safety of the building and more importantly, the lives of the dentists, nurses and patients within.
For more information on our app, or to find out more about our referral programme, contact the team today