Is Your Business Safe
Everyone should have a fire evacuation plan. That’s a given. In most cases, the loss of human life, in the event of a fire, is avoidable. Fire safety laws are constantly being updated, whether on a national or a local level. Employers should have a fire risk assessment done and come up with a plan based on the findings. This plan may be something as simple as being certain the employees know the proper exit routes, or it may involve making physical changes to the way the business is conducted, and the equipment is placed within the building.
While it’s entirely possible you have the time and skill to do your own fire risk assessment, this is something that is best left to the professionals. The cost of hiring a professional will pay for itself in the long run, as they will be aware of the local fire safety laws to make certain you are in compliance. When you hire a company you want to be certain their assessors have at least 10 years experience with the fire department, as well as being able to finish the assessment in one day. If, for any reason, the company says the risk assessment will take more than one day, you should find another company.
When your fire risk assessment has been completed you will be given an easy to understand report giving you time saving tips, as well as describing the things you can do to keep your business and employees safe from a fire.
Most local fire departments periodically come to businesses to do random fire inspections. If they find any violations of the local fire laws, you will be given a written list of what needs to be corrected, and a length of time for you to make the necessary corrections. If for any reason you do not complete the necessary changes in a reasonable amount of time, the fire department can shut your business down until such time as you are in compliance with the local fire laws and regulations. These random inspections are not done to hassle your company. They are done to help keep your business and employees as safe as possible.
There are a number of ways to keep your business, yourself, and your employees safe in the event of a fire. In the case of a fire, the majority of serious injuries and deaths are caused by smoke inhalation, as well as the way people react in an emergency situation. For this reason, your company should have a good evacuation plan. Each employee should be given a written copy of this plan as well as a simple mask for filtering the smoke. With just a few precautions there would be many fewer deaths from fires.
