Do You Know Your Fire Safety Obligations?

When you’re running a business there is a lot that you need to be aware of, including how to keep your employees, customers and members of the public safe.

Fire safety is an important issue, and one that it’s worth doing some research around to ensure you’re meeting all your obligations. Business Mole recently shared a guide to fire safety for UK businesses, which broke down the main piece of legislation you need to be aware of.

This is the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order of 2005. It states that every business needs to appoint a responsible person to conduct a fire safety risk assessment that provides details of how to eliminate or reduce the risk of a fire starting, as well as identifying anyone who might be at risk during a fire.

Every business should also have a plan of how to deal with a fire emergency, the news provider noted, adding that you need to keep a record of your fire risk assessments if you employ five or more people.

If you’re appointing someone to be a responsible person for the purposes of your business’ fire safety, it’s important that they take appropriate online fire safety training courses.

When they are tasked with carrying out a fire safety risk assessment, it’s vital that they understand exactly what should be included. For instance, the first step should be identifying any potential sources of ignition, as well as any sources of fuel or oxygen that could cause a fire to intensify.

For example, Labour MP David Drew last month described school notice boards as a “hidden fire safety hazard”, because they are often made from flammable material that will catch fire easily and burn very quickly, the BBC reported.