There is no doubt that being prepared in the event of a fire is of paramount importance. A statistic from the Home Office Fire and Rescue Incidents Statistics Report stated that the Fire and Rescue Services were called to incidents 576,040 times last a year, a 2% increase from the year before. A fire safety programme can help you avoid becoming part of this statistic. If you already have a programme in place, it is probably worth regularly reviewing it, because situations change, but the risk of a fire is always there.
In this article we will examine the reasons why you should review and update your fire safety programmes regularly, to maintain a safe and well-prepared business.
What is a fire safety training?
In the event of a fire breaking out, getting everyone to safety should be the priority, but in order to do this effectively, people need to be informed of the best and most efficient way to evacuate the building. Fire safety training teaches people how to evacuate the building, so that if an incident does occur, people don’t panic, and they know what to do. Training is especially important in businesses to comply with fire safety regulations.
Why fire safety training should be refreshed
According to Gov.Org in the FIRE0301 document on primary fires, the emergency services were called 8,616 times to fire-related incidents in the workplace that resulted in casualties, demonstrating how a fire is a real, tangible risk. Circumstances are always changing, which means that your fire safety programmes should always be changing too. Although it may not seem like a priority, a fire can happen at any time, so always being fully prepared for all variations in your organisation is absolutely key. We’ve put together a list of reasons why you might need to refresh your fire safety programme to ensure that it is as effective and efficient as possible.
1. Your equipment might need to be changed
When reviewing your fire safety programmes, you might realise that your safety equipment, such as fire extinguishers and alarms, are old and either need to be checked or replaced. It could be devastating if you realise that your extinguisher doesn’t work only once a fire has already begun. Being sure that they are in good working order will give you peace of mind and might even save lives.
Take a look at our fire extinguishers, alarms and blankets, all of which we will inspect and service regularly. We will even remind you when a service is due, to make sure that you are never left with faulty equipment.
2. There may have been a recent fire
Hopefully, you will not be in a situation where a fire has recently happened, but if you are, you should review and reorganise your fire safety plans. Any equipment used will need to be replaced or refilled. Equally, a fire may have caused a change in situation for you, meaning you need to adjust your programmes. As well as this, you may be able to tweak the original plan to be better, based on how it worked when the fire occurred. Although this might not be at the top of your agenda after an incident, it is very important that you make sure you are prepared at all times.
3. Staff may need more training
According to IFSEC Global, 1 in 4 construction workers don’t know which fire extinguisher to use for which type of fire, a small insight into a larger problem across all sectors. A lack of training like this can have fatal consequences. It is incredibly important that your staff are fully aware of your fire safety programmes and are trained and ready in the event of a fire. This is something you should regularly check and review as you might have new staff join your organisation who need to be aware of the procedures you have in place. Staff also might just forget procedures if they’re not reminded quite frequently. To avoid panic and people not knowing exactly what they’re supposed to do, it’s worth providing regular training and reminders of how to act in the event of a fire.
If you would like to learn more about using fire extinguishers, check out our article How to Safely Use A Fire Extinguisher (and get the relevant training).
4. You’ve moved premises
If you happen to move your organisation to a different location, it goes without saying that you will have to undertake a new Fire Risk Assessment, to find any new potential hazards and escape plans. Your previous Fire Risk Assessment will obviously no longer be applicable. Simply, with a new set of documents comes a new set of fire safety programmes, which staff must all be informed of.
Take a look at our services to learn about the comprehensive Fire Risk Assessments we offer.
5. It’s the law
The law states that organisations must have a Fire Risk Assessment in place and that it must be updated regularly, meaning that your fire safety plans should be updated regularly too, to comply with the risk assessment. 600 business owners have already been prosecuted since the introduction of the Regulatory Fire Safety order in 2005, according to Fire Safety Law, which wouldn’t be good for your own business. Ensuring that all of your documents and programmes are up to date not only improves the safety of your business, but it also keeps you on the right side of the law.
Check your fire safety programmes today
Without the threat of a fire being imminent, it might be tempting to keep putting off refreshing your fire safety programmes, but a fire can occur at any time, and you don’t want to discover a problem when it is too late to fix it. When circumstances change, so should your fire safety programme, a lack of preparedness can have dire consequences. Here at Fireline, we offer comprehensive training, presented in an easy, understandable way by our experienced and qualified engineers, find out more here.
If you are interested in staff training, hiring a professional risk assessor, essential fire safety equipment or anything else we have mentioned above, contact us here.
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