Fire safety - A burning issue for all businesses

Fire safety is an issue which no business can afford to ignore. Figures from the Fire Service reveal that the organisation is called to more than 600,000 incidents each year, many of which occur at workplaces.

In addition, the group notes that these fires are responsible for more than 800 deaths and over 17,000 injuries each year, which can highlight the need for products such as a Fire Safety DVD.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) explains that the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, and equivalent legislation in Scotland, obliges companies to follow a risk-based approach to fire safety. This requires a responsible individual, which is usually the employer, to carry out a risk assessment of the workplace.

To carry this out, the individual is required to identify and examine any dangerous substances found or liable to be present in the workplace, which may be supported by use of Fire Risk Assessment. In addition, how to eliminate or reduce the risks represented by dangerous substances should be taken into account at this stage.

Additionally, the HSE points out: "You must carry out a risk assessment regardless of the quantity of dangerous substance present, as it will enable you to decide whether existing measures are sufficient or whether any additional controls or precautions are necessary."

In order to guide those performing the risk assessment, the HSE classes flammable substances into four categories, which may help those using Fire Safety Training Booklets.

The group points out that liquids, including petrol, paint and cleaning fluids, can be extremely flammable and have a flash point lower than zero degrees C. In addition, dusts made from everyday materials like coal, grain, wood, sugar and certain metals can explode violently if ignited when in a cloud.

Furthermore, the HSE explains that flammable solids such as plastic foam, packaging and textiles can burn fiercely and create a dense smoke, which could be poisonous depending on the material. The final category is gases, which includes liquefied petroleum gas and methane. If released in an uncontrolled manner, these substances can ignite readily.

The person carrying out the risk assessment must also consider the nature of the work which will be carried out using the substances and how this could create the chance of fire, explosion and similar events which could place employees and the public in danger.

Another duty of those responsible for fire safety is to ensure that the appropriate precautionary and protection measures are implemented, which could involve displaying a Fire Safety Poster in the workplace.

One vital protection measure is to install fire extinguishers, which are covered in the Fire Safety DVD. The Fire Service explains that there are various kinds of extinguisher available, such as water, foam, dry powder and carbon dioxide (CO2).

The group notes: "No single type of extinguisher is totally effective on every kind of fire. So before buying a fire extinguisher, it is vital to look carefully at what type of fire it has to be used on."

For example, water extinguishers can only be used on fires involving wood, paper, textiles and fabrics. However, CO2 devices cannot be used for these, but are suitable for electrical equipment fires or those fuelled by petrol, diesel and oils. More information on these can be found in aids such as Fire Safety Training Booklets.

The safety representative also has to ensure that a fire management plan is developed, which includes how to evacuate the premises. The Fire Service recommends that the escape plan is well known, with considerations made for people with special requirement, such as those who are older.

As we have seen, there are several steps to ensure that a workplace is safe from the dangers of fire. Luckily, businesses can seek support from products such as the Fire Safety DVD, Fire Safety Training Booklets and the Fire Safety Poster.