A fire in the workplace can be devastating both in terms of injury to employees and in its effect upon the smooth running of your business. Making plans to minimise the risk of fire is vital for any company.

Fire Safety

Your fire risk assessment is the best place to start and you should ensure that there is nothing outstanding in this. You should have a fire safety plan in place and all your staff should be aware of this.

Staff training should include knowledge of your procedures and where the escape routes, assembly points and fire extinguishers are located.

Fire drills should be held regularly so that all staff understand what they should do in the event of a fire.

Your smoke and fire detection equipment should be regularly maintained – MK Electrics can be relied upon to install and maintain smoke & fire detection equipment, so that you comply with fire regulations.

In the Event of Fire

The person who discovers a fire is responsible for raising the alarm immediately. Call the fire service, giving the address and postcode of the premises and the location and type of fire.

If the fire alarm sounds, the designated fire marshals should investigate whilst others evacuate the building. Trained individuals may attempt to extinguish a small fire if appropriate, ensuring that their escape route remains clear.

The fire marshals must check that everyone is safely out of the building.

Everyone should calmly head to the closest fire exit and assemble at the designated point. Do not use lifts. Any doors used should be checked with the back of your hand to make sure the fire is not behind them. The last person through should close the door behind them. If smoke is affecting the escape route, crawl close to the ground.

A headcount or roll call should be carried out at the assembly point and no-one should go back inside the building until informed that it is safe by the Fire Officer.