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Fire safety in the workplace

Blog
Jo King
11 Feb 2021

However, when it comes to fire safety, your workplace will have an identified 'responsible person'. According to the Gov website, the responsible person for fire safety is you if you are an employer, landlord, owner or occupier of business premises and other non-domestic premises.

This means that in line with the fire safety order 2005, as the responsible person, or group of responsible individuals, you are legally required to ensure your premises are compliant, proving that you have taken all the necessary fire precautions and fire safety measures in your workplace.

You can find out more about sourcing your fire safety equipment and other associated services through a procurement process, by reading our previous blog here.

In the meantime, here are five key things you must consider as the 'responsible' and competent person and how our Fire Safety equipment framework can help along the way:

Your fire safety checklist:

1) Risk Assessment

A fire safety risk assessment highlights what potential fire hazards are present in your workplace and what preventative measures you can take to increase fire protection.

Performing a fire risk assessment certifies that your workplace is in accordance with the latest regulatory reform of fire safety.

Lot 5 of our framework also assess if your current fire safety measures are compliant with any relevant British Standard, industry-standard or guidance by an assessor who is accredited to BAFE SP205 or equivalent.

Make sure your risk assessment covers at least all of the following; identifying risks, identifying individuals at risk, emergency routes and exits, fire detection systems, fire fighting equipment, fire evacuation plans, provision of training.

2) Fire safety measures

Fire safety measures are procedures, policies and precautions you can employ to increase building and workplace safety.

A vital measure you can take is sourcing Fire Detection Systems that can detect elements such as fire, smoke, gas, carbon dioxide, heat etc.

Installing and connecting your detection systems to Fire and Smoke Alarms is an effective way to raise the awareness of a potential fire immediately and notify staff to exit the premises.

These can be both procured through Lot 7 of our framework, Fire Detection & Alarm Systems.

To take a further measure, Fire Alarm Monitoring Services are a compliant way to continuously check that your detection systems are connected to your alarms. They should be available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

Fire alarm monitoring services can be procured through Lot 8 of our framework.

3) Plan for an emergency

In the event that a fire does occur on your workplace premises, you should have plans in place for such an emergency through your risk assessment.

Planning for an emergency includes managing and supplying all means of fighting a fire. Your plans must cover staff safety and building safety.

To make sure your staff stay safe in an emergency, all passageways to escape routes must be clear, there must be enough exits and routes for all people to escape easily and these routes must be indicated through emergency lighting.

Lot 11 of our framework covers all Emergency Lighting products and services.

To ensure your building's safety whilst a fire spreads, emergency fire doors should be in place and fire fighting equipment should be installed. Including but not limited to fire extinguishers, sprinkler systems and wet and dry risers.

Check out Lot 9 for Sprinkler Systems, Lot 10 for Wet and Dry Risers and Lot 1-4 for fire extinguishers, both supply and maintenance.

4) Provide fire safety training

Basic fire safety training should be provided to all members of staff at your workplace as a minimum so they understand what measures are in place, what to do in an emergency and can identify any potential hazards.

In Lot 6 of our fire safety framework, you can procure all means of safety training mentioned above.

5) Monitoring and continued maintenance

Any measure or system you put in place as part of your fire safety procedure should always be continuously monitored and maintained. Any equipment should be properly serviced and your entire action plan should be reviewed in line with a regular workplace risk assessment.

Lots 2-3 of our framework ensures that your extinguishers are serviced annually in line with current legislation. Our Fire Safety Equipment framework can assist with helping you to adapt your fire safety plans to ensure they comply with reformed fire safety orders.

Don't forget you can get in touch with our Category Buyer for Facilities Management, Jo, to discuss any requirements you may have or to find out more information about our solution. Or, view our Fire Safety Equipment and Associated Services - 1183 - Framework.

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Author

Jo King

Category Buyer for Facilities and Waste Management

YPO