Fire safety in the workplace is a serious consideration for all employers, both for keeping employees safe and meeting legal requirements. Although managing fire safety in the workplace can seem daunting, NW Fire Solutions is here to support your efforts. In this article, we explain how to establish effective fire safety procedures in the workplace.
Legal responsibilities for managing fire safety in the workplace
The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 requires employers to protect the safety of employees and anyone affected by their activities. This includes taking general fire precautions, appointing competent fire marshals to help manage fire safety, and conducting regular fire safety risk assessments. Establishing effective fire safety procedures in the workplace will help you to protect personnel and property.
How many fire wardens should there be in your workplace?
A fire marshal is a designated employee who has undergone specific fire marshal training to help mitigate the risks of a fire in the workplace. The Fire Safety Order requires employers to nominate sufficient staff to take on these fire safety responsibilities. But how many fire wardens should there be in your workplace? There is no one-size-fits-all answer, but there are some general rules to bear in mind.
The specific number of fire marshals required will naturally depend on various factors, including the number of staff, type of workplace, layout of the building and number of floors. As a general rule, one fire marshal per 50 employees should be sufficient for low-risk premises. However, medium to high-risk properties should aim to deploy one fire marshal for every 20 and 15 employees, respectively.
Establishing fire safety procedures in the workplace
So, how do you go about establishing your workplace’s risk profile? With a professional fire risk assessment (FRA), such as those delivered by our fire safety advisers here at NW Fire Solutions. Under the Fire Safety Order, a fire risk assessment is a legal requirement for most types of buildings used as a place of work or residential buildings made up of more than a single dwelling.
The findings of a professional fire risk assessment can lay the foundations for developing appropriate fire safety procedures in the workplace. With all the potential risks identified, you can then take appropriate measures to ensure they are removed altogether or, where this is not possible, at the very least, reduced to an acceptable level. A written record of your fire risk assessment must be maintained and updated regularly.
Fire safety procedures should be clearly outlined and discussed with the entire workforce to ensure all personnel understand how to respond in a fire emergency. Procedures should cover a wide range of fire safety considerations, including evacuation procedures, raising the alarm, and reporting fire risks or hazards. It is also important to provide fire safety training and refresher sessions for all employees.
Manage fire safety in the workplace with NW Fire Solutions
With clear fire safety procedures in the workplace, your business can eliminate the potential risks of fire hazards. In doing so, you can create a workspace that protects your personnel and gives you the peace of mind that all necessary precautions have been taken to protect your business and its assets. NW Fire Solutions offers an array of first-class services that are designed to enhance fire safety in the workplace.
Our commercial and industrial fire risk assessments are designed to maximise fire safety in the workplace. Our experienced team of assessors, all of whom hold a fire safety diploma at level 4 or above, will support your business by identifying fire hazards and helping you to remove or reduce the risks. Industrial FRAs go one step further by assessing the risks posed by hazardous equipment or flammable chemicals in the workplace.
Why choose NW Fire Solutions?
As well as our proven fire risk assessments, NW Fire Solutions also provides various other fire safety services to improve fire safety in the workplace. For instance, our fire extinguisher training will ensure your employees can select the correct extinguisher to tackle a specific fire classification. We also offer comprehensive fire door surveys, compartmentation surveys, and fire stopping surveys to further safeguard your premises.
With over a decade of experience as a proactive and successful fire safety company, NW Fire Solutions comprises chartered fire engineers, health and safety professionals, and dedicated surveyors and assessors. We are passionate about delivering comprehensive passive fire protection solutions that make fire safety management as simple as possible. We can reduce your stress levels by increasing your safety measures.
Contact us today to find out how NW Fire Solutions can help you to manage fire safety in the workplace. Please get in touch on 0151 665 0124 or info@nwfiresolutions.co.uk for expert advice or a free quote. Our highly experienced team is on hand to provide tailored on-site support for all your fire safety needs.