FIRE SAFETY FOR FACTORIES & INDUSTRIAL SITES
Being responsible for manufacturing and storing goods of all types of materials at a large scale can make the work environment of factories and industrial sites a fire risk. Fortunately, with the appropriate fire safety equipment and practices in place, those risks can be minimised.
Fire risks for factories & industrial sites
Factories and industrial sites tend to have more fire risks than domestic and commercial environments. But knowing the fire risks is vital to be able to minimise them as much as possible.
Electrical appliances
Factories and industrial sites such as warehouses typically have a large number of electrical appliances used for production and packaging processes. And these electrical appliances can be a fire risk if misused or if they are faulty.
For example, a clothes factory will own numerous sewing machines. It only takes one of them to be faulty or to be misused to cause a fire. There could be a faulty/visible wire that causes a spark and being surrounded by clothes which are a flammable material, a fire could break out and spread fast.
Storage
Being responsible for the storage of a large number of products comes with a big fire risk, depending on the materials that are present either in your product(s) or in your warehouse/factory.
For example, clothes, furniture, or building materials are highly flammable materials that are usually stored in factories and industrial sites.
Preventing fire risks in factories & industrial sites
There are several ways to prevent the event of a fire happening in the first place and minimising the damage of a fire if one does break out in a factory or industrial site.
Fire risk assessment
A fire risk assessment is an inspection that your factory or industrial site will need to carry out by law. It is crucial for the prevention of a fire occurring as fire hazards will be identified for appropriate precautions to be taken.
Fire safety equipment
In the event of a fire breaking out in your industrial building, having the essential fire safety equipment will greatly minimise damage and the risk of injuries and fatalities.
Essential fire safety for industrial sites includes:
- Fire alarms; to alert every one of a fire
- Fire extinguishers & sprinklers; to put out the fire
- Fire doors; to evacuate safely and efficiently
Fire safety equipment should be tested regularly to ensure that it is adequate for the job or otherwise being replaced.
Fire safety training
It’s crucial that employees working in your premises are aware of the fire risks in their environment, safety precautions to minimise these risks and the procedures/processes if a fire does break out.
Training your staff about fire safety in your industry is especially important as they are likely to be the ones operating equipment that pose a fire risk.
Keep your factory or industrial site fire-safe
If you would like to explore options about fire safety at factories and industrial sites and see how we can help, contact us here or take a look at our Products & Services.