It is understandable that fire is not only one of the biggest fears for individuals but also for business owners. This stems not only from the fear for personal safety but also for the damage it can do to buildings, equipment and stock that can be incredibly costly. That means that there is a huge focus on fire safety in every business, and it is imperative that your business is compliant with the latest fire alarm regulations.
Overview of UK fire safety laws and regulations
The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 governs fire safety in buildings within England and Wales, including all workplaces and places legal duties on anyone in control of those buildings, known as the Responsible Person, to conduct fire risk assessments and make sure that general fire precautions are put in place and maintained properly.
Part of the FSO makes it law that all commercial buildings in the UK must complete with current fire alarm regulations, including the British Standard 5839. This covers the installation and maintenance of fire alarms as well as the fact that all business premises must have an appropriate fire detection system.
Fire risk assessments
It is important that you carry out regular fire risk assessments in order to identify any potential hazards that could increase your risk of a fire, or anything which could allow a fire to spread more easily.
Start by identifying the things that could start a fire such as electrical equipment, heating, cooking, housekeeping, contractors, smoking or even arson. You should also look at the number of people within your business and identify if there is anyone young or disabled in the building or any lone workers. You should also include how many floors and staircases there are in your risk assessment as well as the number of exits.
Take a close look at the fire safety that you already have in place and check how many alarms, fire exit signs, extinguishers and emergency lights you have on the premises and whether you need any more.
You should also take a look at whether you have a clear plan of how you are going to keep people safe from fire and whether your staff know how to react one. Keep a log of any fire drills that you complete and check how well your safety provisions are being maintained.
Once all of this has been completed you should be able to identify any areas that need attention. You can then create a plan on how these should be addressed, who is responsible for each item and when you expect this to have been completed.
Fire safety equipment and systems
There is a wide range of equipment available when it comes to fire safety equipment, so you should look at what works best for your premises.
A conventional fire alarm can divide your premises into broad zones which can then be identified if a fire starts. However, it should be remembered that whilst the zone is identified, the precise location is not, so this tends to be more appropriate for smaller premises and lower risk environments.
A two wire fire alarm system allows alarms, beacons, detectors and call points in a single zone to run on the same pair of wires. This cuts out the need for a separate sounder circuit and can therefore reduce the wiring costs.
An addressable fire alarm means that each device within the system has its own electronic address which can tell you more accurately where the fire is, making it more appropriate for larger environments such as schools, care homes and hospitals. Wireless fire alarms work in much the same way, but with a secure wireless link between the sensors and the fire alarm panel. These are ideal for older buildings where fitting large amounts of cable is not appropriate.
Training and drills
Having a fire alarm system is great, but the people within the building need to know how to use them and how to respond to them if they are going to be effective, and this can be achieved through different types of training.
You should start by training everyone within the business, and making sure they are all aware of the risks and hazards, how to handle them, how to report any risks and what to do in the event of a fire. When new staff join the business, they will need to be fully trained on any risks and informed of what to do in the event of a fire, without waiting for the next fire drill, as you never know when an incident might occur.
Fire drills are an important part of fire safety and should be conducted at least once a year. You should have nominated observers who can take notes about how the fire drill was conducted and ask a member of staff to operate an alarm.
This gives employees the chance to hear what the alarm sounds like, and to leave the building safely through the nearest exit. Staff should then assemble at a designated point a safe distance away from the building and checks should be performed to make sure everyone is out.
You should time how long this takes, whether there is any inappropriate behaviour, whether doors or windows are left open and whether anyone with mobility issues experienced any difficulties. You can then use this information to improve your practices and to educate your employees further if it is deemed necessary.
Enforcement and penalties
Fire safety is something which should be taken very seriously, and there are serious penalties for those who do not comply. Local fire and rescue authorities can check your premises to ensure that you are compliant and can take action if you are not.
This could supply you with an informal notice suggesting safety measures or a formal one. There could also be an enforcement notice if a serious risk is found, detailing what improvements need to be made and a time frame for doing so.
A prohibition notice can be issued if the risk is so great that the business needs to be restricted in some way. Ultimately, you can be issued with an unlimited fine and up to two ears in prison if you do not follow fire safety regulations.
Ensuring fire safety in your business is not just about complying with regulations but also about keeping lives and livelihoods safe. It can be the difference between life and death, so it is important to use these regulations to help keep everyone safe.
How can ISET help you?
Here at ISET UK, we are proud suppliers of fire and gas detection products made by the best brands in the industry. We can guarantee that we have something in stock to meet your clients requirements.
If you would like to learn more about our range of fire and gas detection products, please contact our expert team today.
