Following the nationwide debate on the removal of extinguishers from apartment blocks in Bournemouth, a top insurer has warned that too many businesses are unaware of their responsibilities, when it comes to firefighting equipment and providing staff with fire safety training.
Norwich Union Risk Services property risk specialist, Martin Hartley, warned that making equipment such as fire extinguishers available was not enough, and that staff needed to know when and how to use it, as well as how the various types of equipment worked. He is part of a team of Norwich Union risk advisers that visit over 30,000 UK business premises a year to identify shortcomings in risk management and to offer advice and solutions.
“Protecting the lives of staff as well as business property is paramount. Our research, along with anecdotal evidence, suggests that businesses may not be fully aware of their responsibilities.”
