Fire Risk Assessment and Fire Safety Training

January 31st, 2010

There are various guidelines and laws that come with living in the UK in regards to fire risk assessment. The FSO applies to all non-domestic premises around Wales and England. There are also flats and houses that are occupied by various people. If you want to know how the law refers to you take a look at the following information.
1. Paying guests are provided with shelter
2. Charity organizations are utilized
3. Complete control as the contractor over the premises
4. Employers and self employed individuals who have their own business
5. Your responsibilities related to business premises
6. A specific area for business only
When you are held responsible you must perform a fire risk assessment. It will also be wise to have a fire safety training setup. Here are the current laws on these:
1. Prevent and lower the risk of fires.
2. Everyone who uses your premises will be safe.
There are several guides out there for anyone who is responsible. The training and experience for the most part is small, so providing a fire risk assessment should be fairly easy. You will also want to remember about all the precautionary measures as well.
When someone has formal fire safety training or experience, they should be the ones to provide a fire risk assessment. The only thing left at this point is the fire safety checklist.
Fire Hazards- Figuring out where the ignition sources are and the fuel is your first step. When you make the assessment you will need to look at the lighting, heaters, exposed flames, electrical equipment, grinding or welding, and anything else that is around. You also want to check for matches, cigarettes and various other items that could spark. Oh, and don’t forget about everything that can burn as well.
Who is at Risk?- Well, everyone is at risk if a fire breaks out. This is especially true for individuals who come to your establishment and are not familiar with the surroundings. You also don’t want to forget about the elderly, disabled, and children.
Evaluate the Risks and Make a Plan- When you’re finished with the first two steps of your fire risk assessment, the next thing to do is figure out the likelihood of a fire actually breaking out. Make sure you check to see what types of risks are for those nearby as well. When you do this you will be able to reduce accidental fires by monumental numbers. We also recommend taking the time to look at the various heat sources and sparks to see if they can combined with one another. Even things that can fall and cause a hazard should be accounted for.
Fire safety training is a must for your staff as well. When they are aware of the different scenarios and what to do in case of a fire, the workplace will be safer. Let them know the escape routes beforehand and you will feel more comfortable about fire prevention.
Last but not least you should make sure your safety equipment is in good working order. When you’ve completed this final phase you will know your fire risk assessment checklist is complete. There are many other areas to consider as well like getting insurance discounts thanks to the fire safety training. So keep this in mind before you get started.

Make sure you have your fire extinguishers!

January 26th, 2010

It’s important for companies to have  the right fire extinguishers. A workplace shouldn’t be without one. What would you do if you suddenly had a fire in your home or business? Everything in you cared about would go up in flames. All of your possessions, money, and people may become lost. How would you feel without these things or people in your life?

You don’t want to risk losing everything. This is why it’s important for your home or workplace to be fully equipped with the right fire extinguishers. Make sure you have yours within easy reach should emergency occur. You’ll be thankful you had one.

The four most popular types of fire extinguishers are water, foam, dry powder, and carbon dioxide. Some households are using wet chemical fire extinguishers. These are more commonly used in professional kitchens.

There are precautions to be taken when using fire extinguishers. Be sure to read the directions completely so you and your employees can stay safe.