Risk Assessments For Fire Safety

Fire at the workplace can cause serious injuries, fatalities, as well as severe damage to buildings. For this reason, businesses in the UK must carry out fire safety assessments and take the necessary measures to minimise the risk of injury in the event of a fire. In fact, the Fire Safety Order (FSO) 2006 requires business owners to assess the fire safety of the premises they occupy.

In most cases, business owners hire professionals to carry out fire risk assessments. At Ignis Fire Protection Services in Birmingham, we provide a reliable intuitive system of vigorous checks, ensuring your company is a better, safer environment.

Keep reading to learn what happens during such an assessment.

Identifying Fire Hazards

For fire to burn, it requires certain ingredients such as air (oxygen), fuel, and a source of ignition. The presence of all these three ingredients increases the risk of a fire.

Items at the workplace that could ignite a fire include sparks from gas welding machines, exposed electric cables, worn bearings, naked flames, electrical equipment, drive belts, and hot surfaces.

Items that could act as sources of fuel include gases and liquids such as paraffin, petrol, and methylated spirits.

Solid materials such as wood, paper, plastics, rubber, and foam are potential fuel sources. An Ignis fire risk assessor will move around your business premises and identify all fire hazards.

Identify People at Risk

Fire can spread easily throughout a building, trapping people inside. With this in mind, a professional fire risk assessor will try to identify people who might be at risk during a fire outbreak.

This includes determining whether a building has accessible fire escape routes or openings. Other important aspects to consider include the number of people who work in your business premises, procedures for warning people to evacuate in the event of a fire, fire safety drills, and number of customers who visit your business every day.

Evaluating Fire Risks

Identifying fire hazards and people at risk is not enough. A fire risk assessor must evaluate the risks identified to determine whether additional fire control measures are necessary.

This evaluation will take into account factors such as installed fire warning systems, fire escape routes, and availability of fire fighting equipment.

Recording Fire Risk Assessment Findings

A fire risk assessor must record his or her findings. Take note that this is necessary for employers with five or more employees, in cases where a business requires an Alterations Notice under the Fire Safety Order 2006, and where a licence under an enactment is in force.

Additionally, the record should state whether the business assessed has an adequate fire control measure in place.

Reviewing and Revising

Risk Assessment Results

A business should not carry out a single fire risk assessment. It is important to invite fire assessors regularly to assess whether there are new fire hazards that require attention. Businesses that expand and occupy more space should have a new assessment carried out.

Whether you run a manufacturing facility, retail store, or fast food outlet, protecting your business from a fire outbreak is important. In order to take the right fire control measures, you should invite a fire risk assessor to help you determine potential fire hazards and record fire risk assessments.