The Importance of Fire Safety Assessment
Posted on August 13, 2010
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Ensuring that you get a fire safety assessment is not just adhering to the new regulations on fire safety nor is it just about avoiding the penalties that may ensue for failure to do so. It is one safety measure that is best followed to make sure that the possibility of a fire erupting in your premises is greatly reduced and should a fire does happen the devastation that it can bring can likewise be limited. “An ounce of prevention is worth more than a pound of cure” and this saying especially rings true when it comes to fire because there is really no cure for it as when a fire does happen, the damage that it brings to properties and lives is irreparable.
The new fire regulation has been made to ensure that establishments have fire safety measures and a person who is trained should be responsible in making sure that these measures are likewise implemented. It is not just about having the right firefighting equipments or that your establishment has well defined fire exits. The safety order encompasses more than just being able to put off small fires so that people can get out safely. It also requires establishments to keep their premises first and foremost safe for the people who work there and all others who may have some business with them.
With a fire safety assessment, the establishment is assessed of the existence of fire hazards and the risks it presents not only to the establishment and the immediate vicinity but more so to the people who comes in. Likewise, it helps determine what needs to be done so that the likelihood of a fire occurring is nil and at the same time, should a fire occur the designated trained persons are able to contain and control the fire thereby enabling the people to be safely evacuated. The risk assessment more or less serves as a foundation so that precautionary and preventive measures can be made to ensure fire safety.
The new fire regulation aims to have business establishments as well as the people working there to be prepared for any eventuality. The assessment will help them establish preventive and protective measures as well as a fire safety system that would ascertain that fire risks are eliminated and that whatever hindrances that exist pertaining to fire safety are removed. This would also enable establishments to designate personnel that would ensure that these measures are in place and should a fire occur, they are properly equipped and trained to contain and control the fire as well as guide the people within to safely evacuate the premises. With planning and preparation, the responsible personnel can also properly deal with whatever difficulties that may come up during a fire.
The fire safety order covers only business establishments and not private homes but knowing its importance, you can also incorporate them in your own home. You can conduct a fire safety assessment to ensure that your home is safe and that fire safety measures are in place. A good escape plan is also applicable and do not think that fire drills are only for big buildings and establishments as you can have a fire drill with your family. After all, you want your family safe and being prepared matters.
How to Perform a Fire Risk Assessment in your Home
Posted on July 14, 2010
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Contrary to what many people think, fire risk assessments are not only for businesses, workplaces, and buildings. Fire risks may also exist in your home. In fact, it may be on the verge of a possible fire outbreak without you knowing about it. This is why, it is crucial to conduct a fire risk assessment in your own home so you can identify fire hazards and risks and eliminate them before it is too late. While a professional fire risk assessor will be of great service to you, you can also perform your own home fire risk assessment using these simple steps:
Step 1 – Do research
In order for you to perform an effective fire safety assessment in your home, you need to equip yourself with basic knowledge on fire hazards and risks as well as the top causes of home fires. This way, when you go around the house searching for potential problems, you would know what exactly you are looking for. Home fires usually involve or originate from kitchen cooking, smoking, candle use, flammable liquids, electrical equipment, and heat sources.
Step 2 – Go around and identify potential hazards
The kitchen and garage are two areas that need to be checked for the fire risk assessment, as these are where fires commonly originate. Examine the kitchen thoroughly and identify potential fire risks. Some examples would be flammable items placed near the stove, an oil-soaked stovetop, and electrical cooking appliances.
In the garage, examples of fire hazards include flammable liquids (gasoline, petrol, and diesel) and electrical equipment. Of course, aside from the garage, you would also need to visit all the other parts of the house including the bathroom, bedroom, dining area, patio, garden, and so on. Keep your eyes peeled so you can easily detect the presence of any fire hazard. Be sure to bring a notebook with you during the inspection so you can take notes of all your observations.
Step 3 – Determine other fire risks
Aside from going from area to area in the house, you also need to determine other fire risks involved in terms of people’s activities. Smoking is the number one fire hazard on the list. Other than that, you can consider candle lighting, excessive use of computers and other electrical devices, and cooking as other activities that can pose as fire hazards in the house.
Step 4 – Reduce or eliminate fire risks
Once you have taken down notes on all the fire risks and hazards you have discovered in your home, you need to take action and do something about this. Work to eliminate, if not reduce, the fire hazards in your home to be able to minimize the possibility of a fire accident.
For example, in the kitchen, you need to remove flammable items near the stove and other heating devices, keep the stovetop clean, and maintain electrical devices properly. In the garage, you should also do the same for the electrical equipment here, plus you need to store flammable liquids in secure storage areas.
As for smoking, you should designate smoking areas in the house (preferably outside) for the smoking members of the family. This is great not only in reducing dangerous secondhand smoke but also in preventing fire accidents. Caution and care should be practiced when cooking, using candles, and engaging in any activity that requires use of naked flames, heating devices, and electrical equipment.
On top of it all, be sure to include inspection of fire safety equipment such as fire extinguishers and smoke alarms in the fire safety assessment to ensure that these devices are in good working condition.
Business Fire Safety: How to Reduce Fire Risks
Posted on June 4, 2010
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You have always dreamed of putting up your own business and now that the dream has turned into reality, you cannot help but feel overjoyed as to what you have accomplished so far. You know you still have a long way to go but you are determined enough to do everything it takes to make your business grow and to protect its interest.
But aside from concocting all sorts of marketing schemes and strategies to get your business to boom, another thing that you should not miss out is fire safety. As you know, fires are some of the leading causes of damage to properties and fatalities not only in this country but in other parts of the world as well.
As a business owner, you are responsible for overseeing fire safety to protect not only your business but more importantly, the people who are working for you. To give you some ideas on how to reduce fire risks in your business, here are some tips that you should always keep in mind.
- Install Firefighting Equipment
For small businesses, fire extinguishers and fire blankets are sufficient protection against fire accidents. Do not forget to install smoke alarms as well. Fire extinguishers come in many different types so you need to install those that are ideal for the nature of your business.
For example, a powder fire extinguisher is suitable for most types of businesses as this can put out three classes of fire, namely Class A (paper, wood, clothing), Class B (flammable liquids), and Class C (flammable gases).
Now if your business involves food like if you own a catering service or a restaurant, it would be wise to invest on a wet chemical fire extinguisher that is designed for grease and cooking oil fires. If you have an electronics or computer shop, a CO2 fire extinguisher is the best choice, as this is the safest extinguisher to use for fires involving electrical equipment.
Choosing the ideal fire extinguisher is imperative because using the wrong type can result in damage, injuries, or worsening of the fire.
- Educate and Train Staff
Conduct educational seminars to increase fire safety awareness among your employees. Invite a firefighter or a fire expert to discuss fire preventive measures, emergency procedures, and evacuation plan. Employees should also be trained to use firefighting equipment like fire blankets and fire extinguishers so that flames can be controlled during the initial stage before they grow big and out of control.
- Follow Fire Regulations
UK Fire Regulations should be strictly followed down to the smallest detail to provide a safe environment for your employees and clients/customers. One of the provisions of this set of guidelines require a regular implementation of a fire risk assessment to identify possible hazards, determine people at risk, and formulate ways to get rid or manage the risks present in the business place.
Even though you are very busy with the ins and outs of your business, you should never overlook fire safety. Remember, it is always better safe than sorry. Do not wait for a fire to occur in your business place before you start taking it seriously.
Fire Safety Training for Hotel and Resort Staff
Posted on June 4, 2010
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If you own or manage a hotel or resort, you know that customer service is the most important thing for you to oversee. You very well know that the success of the business lies in the satisfaction of the customers and the reputation of the resort or hotel.
The most important part of customer service that some owners or managers tend to overlook is safety. Some go through extreme lengths to please the customers but forget to oversee that the hotel or resort is safe from possible harms especially that of a fire.
Promoting a fire-safe hotel and resort should be in fact one of the owner’s or manager’s top priorities. To help ensure that, fire safety training for the staff and employees is a big must. If a fire breaks out, it is crucial that the staff are properly trained to do the right emergency procedures that will help prevent further damage and more importantly, help guests to get out safely.
Fire Preventive Measures
As they say, an ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure. With this said, preventing fire is foremost the important thing that employees should learn about. Fire preventive measures should be outlined in signs to be posed all over the work area of the employees. (Of course, there should also be signs for the guest’s rooms.) Moreover, conduct seminars to further educate your employees about this matter.
Evacuation Plan
Also one of the first things that employees should be aware about is the emergency evacuation plan. First, you need to formulate a fire escape route map that will show them all the possible exit routes in the hotel or resort. Then, you must designate an assembly place outside where everyone should meet after getting out of the building safely. Lastly, discuss all the important measures to be undertaken while evacuation the premises. Some examples of these include:
- Alert people about the occurrence of fire by sounding the alarm, shouting fire, and making noises.
- Call up the fire brigade the minute you are out of the burning premises.
- Help and assist the guests especially the children, sick, and disabled to get out of the building safely.
- Crawl down during the escape and cover mouth with a cloth to prevent inhalation of toxic fumes.
Use of Firefighting Equipment
Firefighting equipment will prove to be futile in the event of a fire if nobody knows how to use them. Train your employees to use fire safety devices such as fire extinguishers and fire blankets. Let them experience putting out a fire using a fire extinguisher. Don’t forget to inform them that they can only use a fire extinguisher if the fire is still small and not yet spreading, and if they have the right extinguisher at hand for the particular fire occurring. For example, CO2 fire extinguishers are the only extinguishers designed for electrical fires. Using other kinds may worsen the fire or inflict serious injury.
Aside from a regular fire safety assessment, you should also make it a habit to train and educate your employees to promote a fire-safe environment not only for your guests but also for everyone staying and working in your hotel or resort.
Increase Fire Safety Awareness in the Workplace
Posted on June 4, 2010
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Wow, so you have been appointed as the new fire marshal in the office, congratulations! While it is certainly a big honor to be tasked with this responsibility, it is important not to be blinded with the hero-worship that comes with it. More important than being proud of this designation, you should properly oversee the right things to do to keep your co-employees safe from the possibility of a fire accident.
One way to do this is by increasing fire safety awareness in the workplace. To help you do that, here are some suggestions and tips that are worth checking out.
- Help your co-employees understand the gravity of the matter. Sure, everyone knows that fire is dangerous and deadly but for some, there is that subconscious thought that this is something that will never happen to them. This leads people not to care about fire safety and just to take it lightly.
So the first step in increasing awareness in the workplace is to make your co-employees realize that fire is a possible scenario that can happen to anyone. You can do this by casually sharing stories of people you know who have experienced this kind of tragedy and how traumatic it was for them. This is not meant to scare your co-workers but just to make them realize that this is indeed a serious matter. Once they realize that, getting them to cooperate will not be so hard at all.
- Disseminate information. Put up signs that outline fire preventive measures in strategic locations. For example, you should put a sign in the kitchen that enumerates all the things that you should not do while cooking like leaving the oven unattended, putting metal inside the microwave, and many others. You can also put an informative sign on fire preventive measures in the restroom on the mirror where people are most likely be able to read them.
Another idea would be to give away laminated cards that contain emergency contact numbers and emergency procedures during a fire accident. You can also hand to them sheets of escape routes and some safety tips that they should read about during the break period.
- Hold regular small group meetings. The two key words here are regular and small. It is important to hold regular meetings to be consistent and to keep up with the ever-changing working environment. As you know, there are always new employees getting in and new fire risks present in the work area. It is ideal to meet with small groups because they are easier to handle and are more likely to cooperate than large groups.
- Conduct seminars and organize fire drills
As a fire marshal, you are also required to conduct educational seminars on fire safety awareness, preventive measures, and emergency procedures. Now for practical application of what your co-employees have learned, you should organize fire drills at least once or twice a year.
- Oversee fire safety risk assessment
Lastly, it is also your duty to conduct a regular fire safety risk assessment that will determine the fire hazards present in the office, identify people at risk, and formulate ways on how to reduce these risks. It is also a must for you to check that all fire safety equipment from the automatic fire extinguisher to the fire hose are all properly working.
All these seem like too much work. Not to mention, you already have a full time job to concentrate and focus on. However, with the right attitude and proper time management, you will be able to carry out the responsibilities a fire marshal with little or no difficulty.
Fire Safety in Nursing Homes
Posted on June 4, 2010
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Nursing homes are a great value to the community because they care for the elderly citizens. If you are working in this kind of facility, you should be proud of yourself because you are doing an honorable service that most people will not be able to provide. Not only is caring for the elderly a very challenging job, it also requires utmost patience, empathy, and kindness so you would be able to do the work right way.
As a worker for a nursing home, there are other things that you should be concerned about aside from ensuring that the elderly are well taken care of. You should also help promote fire safety not only for the sake of the older citizens but also for your own personal sake. Here are some examples of fire hazards in the nursing home and ways on how you can offer suggestions to improve fire safety.
Kitchen cooking
The kitchen is always one of those places where fires are likely to occur. Grease, fat, cooking oil, heat, and oven flames can all contribute to the start of a fire. First thing that should be done in the kitchen is to install a wet chemical fire extinguisher that is designed to put out Class F fires or those that originate from grease, cooking oil, and fat fryers.
It is also a must to have fire blankets handy as these things can easily and quickly curb flames before they go out of control by suppressing oxygen, which is one of the main components necessary for fire to thrive.
Other than these preventive measures should also be done. Curtains, furniture, linen, potholders, and other things that can serve as fuel for fire should be store far from the stove and oven. If you can install a sign that outlines reminders on fire safety including: do not wear long sleeved clothes when cooking, never leave a stove or oven in use unattended, and never put metal inside the microwave oven.
Proper maintenance
Electrical systems within the nursing home should be regularly checked. Faulty wiring, malfunctioning electrical appliances, and overloaded sockets, are just few of the many possible causes of an electrical fire. If you notice any of these problems, alert your employer right away. Moreover, proper housekeeping should be done in all the areas of the nursing home as clutter build-up can serve as fuel for fire.
Oxygen tank regulation
Oxygen tanks are commonly found in nursing homes, as they are necessary for respiration therapy. As you know, oxygen is a major component of fire and may cause fire to spread and grow out of control. Because of this, suggest to your employer that someone should be assigned to regulate the use of these tanks, to store them properly in upright positions, preferably inside a fireproof container or vault.
Fire risk assessments
Aside from the mentioned measures above, you also need to suggest to your employer the need for a fire risk assessment to be done in the area. This is to identify the possible fire hazards present in the nursing home, determine the people at risk, and formulate methods that will reduce these fire risks.
Caring for the elderly is difficult enough without having to worry about your own safety. So to give yourself some peace of mind, be sure to bring this concern to the attention of your superiors so they can improve fire safety in the nursing home accordingly.
How to Promote a Fire-safe Working Environment
Posted on June 4, 2010
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Being an employer is not the easiest job in the world. Not only do you need to hire topnotch employees that will prove to be great assets to the company but you also have to constantly oversee their performance to ensure that they continue to produce excellent results for the sake of the business.
Aside from that, you also need to ensure their safety in terms of providing a fire-safe working environment. As you probably know, fire is one of the leading causes of property damage, injuries, and death in this country. And next to home fires, office fires are the next most common.
So as an employer, how will you be able to promote a fire-safe working environment? Here are some ideas to get you on your feet.
Install fire safety devices in the work area
Firefighting equipment such as fire extinguishers, fire hose, and fire blankets are necessary to curb fire before it grows out of control and inflicts harm and damage. Smoke alarms are also required to alert employees and other people in the area about the occurrence of fire. This would allow people to get out as fast as they can out of the burning premises.
Be sure to have the right pieces of fire safety equipment installed in the work area. For example, for the fire extinguishers, it would be best to have the AFFF fire extinguishers (aqueous film forming foam) as it has a dual A and B rating capability. This means it is designed to put out Class A (wood, clothing, paper) and Class B (flammable liquids) fires. And although it is not specifically designed for electrical fires, this extinguisher can resist electricity and is safe to put out many kinds of electrical fires.
Hold seminars and trainings on fire safety awareness
Increasing awareness on this subject matter can be done through seminars and trainings. You can invite a firefighter or a fire expert to hold an educational seminar that will tackle the basic things that people need to know about fire safety including preventive measures, reduction of fire safety risks, emergency procedures, and proper usage of firefighting equipment. You can even ask the firefighter to demonstrate and/or train employees on how to use a fire extinguisher since practical application is still more effective than theoretical learning.
Have a fire risk assessment done in the office area
Do not forget to have fire risk assessment done in the work area as this prerequisite by the UK Fire Regulations. This assessment will determine the possible fire risks, people at risk, and steps to be done to reduce these risks.
Formulate an emergency evacuation plan
With this said, you should also work with an expert to create an emergency evacuation plan that will identify possible routes of escape during a fire and a safe assembly place outside the building where employees are required to go after getting out of the premises safely.
Conduct fire drills at least once a year
Fire drills are vital because they prepare employees for a fire emergency. The key to holding a fire drill is not to let the employees know. This way, they would act spontaneously and you would see results not far from what can actually happen. Determine how long your employees are able to get out of the building and encourage them to quicken it up for the next fire drill.
We all know that being an employer can be a tough job. Hiring and overseeing employees is one thing. Then there is also that responsibility of providing a fire-safe working environment. Good thing, these ideas will get you in the know as to what to do to achieve this purpose.