The Importance of Fire Safety in UK Offices
Did you know that there are around 22,000 fires in commercial properties every year in the UK? Fires can cause extensive damage to businesses, not to mention the injuries and fatalities that can occur.
Therefore, it’s vitally important that business owners take steps to ensure their property is fire safe. In this guide, we’ll explore what fire safety is, the dangers of poor fire safety in offices, the law surrounding fire safety, and the risks involved in not running tests and setting up a building to be fire safe.
Introducing Fire Safety in the Workplace
Fire is one of those dangers that’s so easy to overlook and believe will never happen to you until it happens and you’re left entirely unprepared.
You’ll always wish you were prepared for the unexpected but never had to use the safety features you put in place rather than getting caught without them. Lives are literally on the line.
Since no one wants to face these potential realities, it’s important to take proactive steps now to ensure your office is as prepared as possible. Here are some key things you should know about fire safety in the workplace.
The Dangers of Poor Fire Safety in Offices
Poor fire safety in offices can have disastrous consequences. In fact, from the year March 2021 to 2022, there were over 900 fires in offices alone.
This statistic shows how common office fires are, clocking in at over 75 fires nationwide per month, and highlights how important it is to have proper fire safety measures in place.
Some of the dangers of poor fire safety in offices include:
- Injuries
- Fatalities
- Damage to property
- Loss of stock, products or commercial assets
- Business interruption
- Expensive repair bills
- Legal action and court proceedings
The risks are significant, which is why it’s always better to put safeguards in place, ultimately saving you time, money, and, most importantly, lives.
What is Fire Safety?
Fire safety is the measures taken to prevent fire from happening and keep people safe if a fire breaks out.
This can include anything from having proper signage to knowing how to evacuate a building safely. It also includes, but isn’t limited to;
- Having working smoke and fire alarm systems in place
- Providing appropriate fire-fighting equipment
- Ensuring all staff are trained in fire safety procedures
It’s crucial to have multiple layers of protection in place, as well as a plan for what to do in the event of a fire. This way, everyone knows what to do and can evacuate the building quickly and safely.
Of course, this is all legally required as a business. As reported by the Fire Safety in the Workplace guidelines, you must show you have safety measures in place, carry out regular fire safety assessments, and have protective measures in place.
Ultimately, it falls on you as the employer or property owner to ensure the safety of those in your building.
How to Become a Fire-Safe Office
There are many steps to becoming a fire-safe business. As a lowdown, you’ll need to;
- Carry out a fire safety risk assessment
- Develop an evacuation plan
- Train your staff in fire safety procedures
- Install the appropriate signage
- Ensure you have working smoke alarms and fire-fighting equipment
- Regularly test and inspect your systems
- Keep up to date with changes in legislation.
You may feel like this is a lot to take on, and you’d be right. It is a lot to take on, which is why many businesses outsource their fire safety to specialist providers, like our professional team here at Safe and Sound Fire Limited.
We provide a complete fire safety service where we audit and provide comprehensive safety services for an affordable price, including all signage, equipment, lighting, protection, alarms, CCTV systems, and so much more.
If you’re looking to get your fire safety setup up to scratch, contact us today for a free consultation. We’d be more than happy to help get your business fire-safe and compliant with the law, and we look forward to hearing from you!
