Fire Regulation Health & Safety For Businesses

As a business, it’s essential that the appropriate processes and procedures are in place to prevent fires from breaking out and putting employees and members of the public at risk. 

You are legally required to carry out fire safety risk assessments and keep these records up to date, making changes to your place of business based on your review to minimise the risks of injury and fatalities.

You are responsible for fire safety in non-domestic premises if you’re an employer, owner, landlord, building manager, risk assessor, facilities manager or managing agent. Fire safety orders also apply to anyone who has paying guests on site, so make sure you know your responsibilities if you run a guesthouse or rent out a self-catering property.

If you don’t follow fire regulations to the letter, you can be fined or even face a prison sentence if something happens.

Fire risk assessments

During your risk assessment, you will need to identify what you have on site that could lead to a fire breaking out, including sources of ignition and any substances that burn, as well as any people who could be at risk. Once you know what your specific risks are, you’ll then be better equipped to put the necessary controls in place.

Ideally, you want to find ways in which the risks can be avoided altogether but, in instances where this isn’t possible, you will need to identify how to reduce the risks and how they can be managed effectively.

How to reduce fire risks

A lot of fire prevention and risk reduction comes down to how well organised your premises is. For example, you can reduce the risks substantially by keeping your flammable substances well away from any sources of ignition. 

Furthermore, keeping your site clean and tidy at all times will mean that you don’t have piles of rubbish building up that could add fuel to the fire.

When carrying out your risk assessment, also make sure that you have all the necessary protections in place to ensure that those on site are kept safe. 

You need to have the appropriate signage installed so that people can see where the fire escape routes and exits are and you need to have working smoke alarms and fire alarms installed, which will need to be tested regularly to ensure compliance.

Finally, it’s essential that regular fire drills are carried out so you know your members of staff are able to react appropriately in the event of a fire, with training given to all employees and updated as necessary over time.

Fire alarm systems

If you’re looking for a company to design, install and maintain your fire alarm systems, carrying out regular tests to ensure the health and safety of all those on site, get in touch with the Volt East team today. 

We keep up to date with safety standard compliance and do all the hard work for you, so you can continue focusing on what’s more important - running your actual business. Give us a call today to see how we can help.