Construction Fire Risks

It took a long time for the UK to bring fire safety regulations up to date. Certificates issued under the 1971 Fire Precautions Act are no longer valid. This 1971 legislation was not updated significantly until the 2005 Fire Safety Act which promises more stringent measures regarding fire safety regulations. This rules have been put in place to protect businesses and their staff from the pain and suffering that fire can bring. This article will cover the necessity of a thorough fire risk assessment, correct emergency procedures and how to adequately train your staff.

A fire risk assessment is a careful look at your premises, analysing the risk of a fire starting there based on the activities that normally take place both in the building and the immediate surrounding area. A good assessment will include a look at potential fire hazards. This means checking to see if there is anything that will aid a fire’s ignition, fuel supply and oxygen. Waste material left out in the open will provide ample fuel and will turn a manageable fire into an inferno in rapid time. In terms of ignition, flammable materials and chemicals should be stored in metal containers and there should be a strict no-smoking policy in the vicinity of these materials. In terms of oxygen, if all doors are not securely closed and locked you will give the fire unlimited potential to spread.

Fire safety regulations stipulate that each company should have a specific emergency plan when dealing with an outbreak of fire in the workplace. This should involve consistent fire drills to get staff used to the procedure required when they hear the fire alarm system. If there are specific tasks to be assigned, then the employee who has been charged with the job should be comfortable and secure with what is being asked of them. When heading towards the exits, there should be a calm and orderly evacuation and fire safety regulations also dictate that there should be a designated assembly point a safe distance from the building.

Another part of the new fire safety regulations states that all staff members should be given a fire safety training course to help them better understand how fire starts and how to prevent it from occurring. Such courses will explain the fire safety triangle which will inform you that fire needs three essential components to start and thrive, the aforementioned oxygen, fuel and ignition. Staff will also learn about how quickly fire can spread and the amount of damage it can cause. Anyone who regularly reads newspapers or watches television will continuously hear stories about buildings being completely burned to the ground costing millions of pounds of damage and even death. Such buildings did not follow fire safety regulations and paid the price.

Don’t allow your company to become another news item. Follow fire safety regulations and you will massively decrease your building’s chances of catching a fire and increase the chances of your employees acting responsibly and evacuating safely. Be sure that a responsible fire risk assessment has been carried out, have a well organised escape plan ready and ensure that your staff have undergone the requisite fire safety training courses.