Office fire safety checklist – our quick guide
Commercial buildings must perform regular fire drills and provide clear fire safety information as part of their health and safety regulations. These help to keep everyone on track in the event of fire. By maintaining and managing the workplace in such a way, any potential faults or dangers can be easily identified, evacuation information is clearly visible, and all-being-well, fire risks are less likely to occur.
There are a number of different elements to consider when maintaining fire safety standings within the workplace. As a fire door manufacturer, we at Enfield Doors understand the importance of fire awareness. We’ve pull together an office fire safety checklist for your consideration – here’s our quick guide below:
Keep escape routes clear
It can be so tempting to place something in front of a fire escape, as more-often-than-not these exists are hardly used. But it is extremely important to maintain a clear escape route from the building. Anything obstructing the office fire doors will simply add to the evacuation time and could result in the loss of a life.
Have fire extinguishers available
The main focus of a fire is to exit the building, but should it be necessary, you need to make sure your employees have adequate protection against a fire. Fire extinguishers should be clearly found within the office and be easily accessible. You should also make sure there are trained fire wardens who can easily use them.
Ensure fire extinguishers are serviced and, if necessary, replaced regularly – to ensure they are in good working order. You wouldn’t want it to fail when you need it most in an emergency.
Perform regular fire drills and alarm testing
Regular drills and alarm testing are a requirement of commercial health and safety regulations. Fire drills test the efficiency of the route and help people understand their part. Regular drills ensure more effective evacuations and a more organised approach should a real fire occur. They also ensure the fire alarms are clearly working, which could be a matter between life and death.
Ensure fire awareness for employees
All employees should be aware of the health and safety regulations within the workplace. For new starters, this may be as simple as having a fire awareness course or a chat through your office fire protocol. Regular fire awareness emails, meetings and drills also ensure everyone is on the same page.
Have adequate fire wardens
Whilst everyone should be aware of the fire protocol within the workplace, you should always ensure there is an adequate number of trained fire wardens on site. Fire wardens carry out necessary checks to ensure fire drills run smoothly and can highlight and document any potential issues with the evacuation process. The more fire wardens, the more efficient the fire drill.
Produce clear evacuation plans
Everyone needs to have access to the evacuation plan. Whether it is visible on the wall, or via regular drills, it is extremely important that everyone is on the same page when existing the building. Visitors to the workplace also need to have a clear indication of what to do and what internal fire doors to use in case of a fire, in order to exit the building safely.
Check electricals and appliances regularly
More-often-than-not fires within the workplace are a result of an electrical fire. It is therefore extremely important that you carry out regular PAT tests on all electricals and appliances. By maintaining and managing the workplace in such a way, any potential faults or dangers can be easily identified, and the risks of a fire are greatly reduced.
Ensure smoking areas are appropriately placed
Designated smoking areas should be placed at least 1.5meters away from any building structure. This reduces the risk of fire as well as reducing second-hand smoke exposure to non-smokers.
Enfield Doors
Our team of experts is always on hand to guide you and give you sound and pragmatic advice based on years of experience and successful installations.
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