Over a third of the UK’s small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are unaware of their legal obligation to have a written fire risk assessment in place. It’s about time they educated themselves. Those operating from a single premises may be particularly vulnerable, as so much loss and disruption can be caused by even the smallest fire. Not only that, a fire might have serious implications should it affect business continuity with suppliers and customers alike.
No matter what type of business they work for, the chances are that safety and security managers and, ultimately, their employers are responsible by law for protecting the health, safety and welfare of company staff. In this regard, legislation – most notably the Fire Precautions (Workplace) Regulations 1977 (amended in 1999) – requires most employers to carry out a fire risk assessment of their workplace to reduce or eliminate fire hazards.
Security managers with responsibility for fire safety should be aware that a risk assessment must be carried out, even if a fire certificate has been issued. Any failure to assess the fire risks for your company or client constitutes an offence under this legislation. Don’t put yourself or your company at the risk of prosecution by turning a blind eye.
Fortunately, help is at hand – in the form of the ‘Business Fire Risk Assessment Guide’. Developed jointly by BT RedCare and the Fire Protection Association, the guide (endorsed by the Chief and Assistant Chief Fire Officers’ Association and the Business Continuity Institute) is designed to raise awareness of managers’ statutory duty, at the same time ensuring that in-house security managers and owners of SMEs are not at risk of personal liability for damage, injury or loss of life as a result of fire(s) on their premises.
The on-line guide contains details of the fire risk assessment procedure, the common causes of fire and how to guard against them, lists the various protection methods available, examines business continuity and then offers a 20-minute checklist that you can fill out with regards to your premises. It’s a relatively simple guide, and it may well be the case that more specific information will need to be recorded before you’ve ‘done the job’.
Fire risk assessments in context
The guide stresses that any fire risk assessment must first identify the potential sources of ignition in the workplace, as well as any combustible materials present as part of the business operation. It will also take in furnishings and building materials. Once this task is completed, the residual sources of ignition and combustible materials must be separated as far as it is practicable to do so.
Those individuals that use the premises must also be taken into account, whether they be members of staff, visitors, members of the public or clients. In simple terms, any on-site equipment used for detecting a fire or warning of its presence must be appropriate for the building and the number of people present. Security managers also have to think about the age and health of those people.
The risk assessment will ensure that satisfactory escape routes are identified and maintained at all times, that fire-fighting equipment is strategically located around the building and that ‘suitable arrangements’ are put in place for detecting and giving warning of a fire event.
Safety and security managers should also note that the Fire Precautions (Workplace) Regulations require:
- employers to make sure that employees are trained in the appropriate courses of action to take when a fire breaks out (or if one is suspected);
- employees to know how to use fire-fighting equipment;
- that adequate records are maintained re: all staff training;
- records to be kept of all maintenance checks on fire-fighting equipment.
Identifying workplace hazards
The neglect and misuse of electrical wiring and equipment is a common cause of fire in the workplace. Overheating of electrical circuits, the use of unauthorised appliances and extension leads must be guarded against. To combat the threat, managers should ensure that electrical circuits and equipment are regularly inspected and tested. Any faulty equipment should be repaired immediately, and all electrical appliances switched off at the end of the working day.
Accumulated rubbish and waste material can lead to the outbreak of fire. You can be sure that arsonists will target rubbish piles. With this in mind, collect all such material and place it in sealed containers well away from the building. A lockable lid for the container is a good idea, so too regular emptying by a contracted refuse disposal company.
Although smoking has been outlawed in many offices and factories these days, it remains a problem. If your company doesn’t operate a ‘No Smoking’ policy, suggest that it does (but make provision for a smoking room at the same time). Locate a fire extinguisher either inside or near that room, and make sure the furniture has the bare minimum when it comes to padded upholstery.
What about the staff restaurant or canteen, and in particular the kitchen(s)? Suffice to say that cloths and towels – anything that’s potentially combustible – must be kept away from sources of heat. If anything like solvents or packing materials are used or stored on your premises make sure that the amount brought in at any one time is sufficient for that day, and that day only. Just like waste materials, keep any bulk supplies in a sealed, locked container outside the premises.
We’ve already referred to arson – a constant threat to many businesses, and one that’s on the increase. Did you know that over 50% of all major fires result from an arson attack? So how can you prevent it? A good maxim to abide by is that you make sure all doors, windows, perimeter fencing and gateways are secured. This is important at night and at weekends, when only the security team will be on site.
Protection and safety measures
What safety and security managers really need to worry about here are escape routes and exit ways, (portable) fire-fighting equipment, fire alarms and automatic fire detection. It’s essential that all designated escape routes from the building are kept clear of obstructions at all times, but particularly during the working day. Those routes must also be clearly identified by way of signage conforming to the standards laid down by the Health and Safety (Safety Signs and Signals) Regulations 1996 or British Standard 5499 (ie those with the well-known ‘running man’ symbols). Under no circumstances must fire exit doors be locked.
Providing suitable fire extinguishers is another key requirement. They can be water, powder, foam or carbon dioxide-based, so bear this mind when choosing a system for your – or your client’s – workplace. Whatever system is decided upon, regular maintenance and testing is a sound practice to adopt.
Fire alarms are all-important, as are automatic fire detection systems in those premises where serious hazards are present. It can take a matter of minutes for a building to be engulfed in flames, and much less time for the emission of toxic gases injurious to occupants.
In conducting a fire risk assessment, businesses are required to consider exactly how the fire service will be called to site. Sadly, this element of the fire protection equation is all-too-often overlooked. Bells-only or break-glass alarms rely on someone to take the initiative in notifying the emergency services. During office hours trained staff will be on hand to do this, but outside of office hours alarms can often go unnoticed. Home Office figures suggest that nearly 70% of fire alarms are triggered on those occasions when premises are unoccupied.
A continuous signal delivered to an Alarm Receiving Centre is arguably the best system for managers to specify.
Automatic fire detection systems may be of the point-type variety, or perhaps a fully-addressable analogue system. Arsonists don’t tend to strike during working hours, so it makes sense to hook the systems up to an Alarm Receiving Centre.
When it comes to preventing the spread of fire, it’s highly important that any fire-resisting doors are kept shut at all times. This is particularly true where such doors are designed to protect designated escape routes like stairwells and corridors. As the FPA/BT RedCare guide states, any fire that does break out will then be "confined in the area of origin".
Managers should also bear in mind that wedging or fastening fire doors such that they remain open is an offence under the Fire Precautions (Workplace) Regulations.
Business continuity management
It’s probably true to say that the concept of business continuity management should be seen largely as an extension of the fire risk assessment procedure. Indeed, the Institute of Management has often stated that fire and its after-effects hold the greatest fears for upper management, solely due to the possibility that – in the short term, at least – they will not be able to service their customer base. Worse still, they might not even have a business left.
Buildings and physical assets can always be replaced (at a hefty cost), but the long-term effects of reputational damage and employee trauma should never be underestimated. Planning is therefore an essential for managers, and that’s where business continuity management comes into play.
Safety and security managers looking for guidance could do worse than turn to the ‘Business Guide to Continuity Management’.
This web-driven initiative is accessible at: www.thebci.org.
Benchmarks are included, so too advice for you to build a business case aimed at putting continuity management plans in place.