Workplace Fire, Health & Safety

Fires require three elements to start and spread – the source of ignition (heat), a fuel source (flammable material) and oxygen, all of which can be present in any common working environment, in the following guises:

  • Sources of Ignition – heaters, lighting fixtures, flames, electrical equipment, cigarettes, matches and lighters, and any other equipment that may create sparks or heat.
  • Flammable Material – these could include paper, plastic, wood, rubber, packaging materials and furniture.
  • Oxygen Sources – of course, the oxygen all around us can spread a blaze very quickly in any environment, so it’s important that the flammable material and ignition sources remain separated.

It is up to you, as an employer, building owner or occupier to ensure these elements aren’t readily able to come together.

What Do I Need to Do?

All employers, building owners or occupiers, are expected to carry out a thorough health and safety assessment, which can include a fire risk assessment.

Based on the findings of these assessments, employers must ensure they roll out appropriate and suitable measures to ensure that the risk to life is substantially diminished in the event of a fire.

Of course, it’s crucial to try to decrease the chance of a fire in the first place, and your initial risk assessment is the ideal vehicle in which to do this. It is your responsibility to identify and reasonably eliminate all the ignition sources in the working environment.

No sooner have you identified these risks can you begin to take the reasonable and appropriate steps necessary to regulate them.

In summary, you must undertake the following during your assessments:

  • Ensure that your workplace always has an up-to-date risk and fire assessment available, and plan in evaluations as necessary.
  • Identify ignition sources and keep them away from potentially flammable substances.
  • Take all required steps to prevent accidental fires, i.e., ensure heaters aren’t kept in enclosed spaces.
  • Make housekeeping a requirement, for example, ensure that bins are emptied as often as necessary to avoid build up.
  • Ensure your detection equipment is functioning correctly, this should include regular maintenance for things such as smoke alarms, sprinklers, and extinguishing equipment.
  • Make sure that all fire exits, and escape routes are marked clearly and always kept free of obstruction.
  • Ensure all employees are given wide-ranging fire training and annual refreshers thereafter.
  • Review and update risks assessments on a regular basis.

Challenges of Workplace Fire, Health & Safety

Keeping Abreast with the Changing Environment

Any working environment is a busy one, which means it’s down to you to ensure that your risk assessment is robust and dynamic to take into account the changing pace of the employees and the work they’re undertaking.

Annual Reviews

Everything in the workplace must be kept under close supervision. This usually means reviewing annually – although it could be more frequent depending on the sector in which you operate. Part of any effective fire safety plan requires equipment reviews and employee refresher training too.

House Keeping

It’s imperative that the workplace is kept clean and tidy to avoid build ups of flammable materials, such as paper, dust, or grease – it’s down to you to ensure your employees keep on top of this.

How Can the FireArrest App Help You?

Our cutting-edge app has been created to give any workplace a measure of control and discipline over their fire procedures, from the most obvious fire hazards down to the minute details.

The FireArrest app features a range of state-of-the-art features which have all been constructed to offer the user crucial insights into their premises, so they are able to accurately understand the data they’ve collected and ensure the safety of the building and more importantly, the lives of their employees.

For more information on our app, or to find out more about our referral programme, contact the team today.