Workplace fire hazards

Workplace fires present huge costs to business with the average cost of fire in a commercial building being £58,100. However, this figure does not include other costs, including the emotional costs of such an event to employees and managers, which often mean that a business which suffers a fire does not re-open. Therefore, fire safety must be a vital element of the health of your business and workforce.

Employers’ obligations in relation to reducing the risk from fire are set out in the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. It requires those with responsibility for non-domestic premises to take responsibility for staff and others visiting their premises. In particular, they are required to;

• carry out a fire risk assessment identifying the risks and hazards;
  
  
• consider who may be especially at risk;
  
  
• eliminate or reduce the risk from fire as far as is reasonably practical and provide general fire precautions to deal with any residual risk;
  
  
• take additional measures to ensure fire safety where flammable or explosive materials are used or stored;
  
  
• create a plan to deal with any emergency and, in most cases, document their findings; and
  
  
• review the findings as necessary.
  

For information on fire safety please see the Department for Communities and Local Government at http://www.communities.gov.uk/fire/.

If you would like assistance in how to ensure fire risk is appropriately covered within your risk assessments, please contact Advantage Health and Safety by email tg@advantagehs.co.uk