5 Top Tips for Maintaining Fire Safety in The Workplace

Although many office managers believe that fire safety lies with the landlord, as the owner of the premises, legislation states the employer is also responsible for making the area safe for its employees. All those who own a business are required by law to have a fire risk assessment and create an emergency plan to identify and mitigate fire safety risks.

Despite a great improvement in fire safety over the years, with legislation put in place to prevent fire-related deaths, it still has a long way to go. Read on to find out top tips of how to maintain fire safety in the workplace.



Regular Fire Risk Assessments

Although there isn’t a specific time period for when fire risk assessments should be reviewed, it’s recommended that it be reviewed and updated regularly. The responsible person should review the fire risk assessment if there is reason to believe the previous assessment is no longer valid or significant changes have been made to the building.

To find out whether your premises comply with legislation visit our fire risk assessments page.

Fire Drills

Make fire drills a regular part of your schedule, perhaps one every few months. Fire drill simulations are a good way of finding out whether staff are prepared to follow the safety procedures in the event of a real fire. If staff are unsure of where to go and do not evacuate safely and quickly, fire safety training should be given as a refresher of the company’s fire protocol.

Inspection of Fire Extinguishers and Fire Alarms

Inspections of fire extinguishers should be carried out monthly to ensure they are in good working condition and ready for use. Checking whether the hose and nozzle is intact and doesn’t have any cracks or blockages.

Fire alarms require a daily visual inspection of the control panel and should be checked by a competent person at least every 6 months. If you work out of a large premises, where fire alarms have more components and more opportunities for something to go wrong, fire alarms should be checked every 3 months.

Fire Safety Training

It’s worth enrolling all or some employees on a fire safety training course, to provide them with a comprehensive understanding of fire safety and how to prevent and deal with situations involving fire. Having fire extinguishers installed in your office are essential, but employees need training on how to use them in the event of a fire.

Emergency Plan

An emergency plan should always be in place in the event of a fire. Everyone must know what they should do and where to go if they discover a fire or hear the fire alarm. It’s recommended to name some employees as fire marshals, who will work with the employer to create and uphold fire safety procedures and will lead the rest of the staff to safety if a fire breaks out.

Ace Fire & Security

At Ace Fire & Security, we offer expert fire services in Plymouth and the South West, from installing fire safety equipment to providing fire safety training. Give us a call today at 0800 195 6393 or get in touch online to find out more about how we can help keep you and your employees safe from fire.