Tag: Fire Safety Training

How to Prevent Fire in Factories and Warehouses

Posted on by Daniel Youngs

Fire safety cannot be neglected anywhere, but when it comes to factories and warehouses, your business’ main assets are at risk as well as the lives of your staff. Whether it’s your stock or machinery, even a small fire could have catastrophic effects on your revenue and productivity.

Fires start for many reasons, but some of the most common causes of fire in these spaces include electrical faults, spillages, use of hazardous stock or materials, improper use of heating equipment and arson. Kitchens and staff rooms present an increased risk.

To help you prevent fires in your warehouse or factory, in line with your duty as set out by the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, we’ve put together our best fire prevention tips for you, specifically tailored to these spaces. If you’d like to learn more about fire safety for your premises, please don’t hesitate to contact our team at Swift Fire & Safety.

1. Fire Risk Assessments

Fire risk assessments should be carried out frequently for maintenance and also when any major changes occur to your premises. These will provide you with an overview of the hazards, the people at risk, the training required and the steps to take to reduce risks.

2. PAT Testing

All portable electrical equipment needs to be in good condition and suitable for use. Regular PAT testing will help you identify the potential dangers so that you can resolve them before they cause any damages.

3. Frequent Equipment Maintenance

All machinery, large or small, requires regular maintenance checks in order to spot faults and prevent fires.

4. Fire Extinguishers

Imperative to any fire safety plan, you need to have the correct extinguisher class in place, and they must be in good working order, to combat the unique hazards posed in your warehouse or factory. Staff must also have regular training, so that they feel confident in choosing the right extinguisher and know how to use them when tackling small fires.

5. Fire Alarms

Fire alarms are an extremely effective way of alerting people to a fire. Early detection protects lives. A good fire alarm system will locate the source of a fire in larger buildings and can be tailored to your building’s layout.

6. Fire Doors

Fire doors help to slow the spread of fire and smoke and protect key evacuation routes. Different resistance times are available based on your requirements.

7. Fire Signage

Photoluminescent signs highlight dangers and provide instructions concerning fire safety. This provides greater awareness for your warehouse or factory staff.

8. Fire Warden Training

You must always have a nominated, competent person in your workplace to implement fire safety. Fire warden training is the best way to give them the knowledge and skills they’ll need to carry out this role out effectively as per the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005.

9. Sprinkler Systems

There are a number of different sprinkler systems available depending on what best meets your needs, but all types will help to manage a blaze should the worst happen.

10. Emergency Lighting

When a fire compromises your building, emergency lighting kicks in to illuminate safe exit routes, helping to save lives.

At Swift Fire & Safety, we provide a wide range of services for factory and warehouse fire prevention. For everything from fire risk assessments to PAT testing, protect your staff and your business by contacting our professional team today.

What to do in the event of a hospital fire

Posted on by Daniel Youngs

Fire awareness training and risk assessments are an essential part of any business. Having these in place ensures that your employees know what the hazards and fire risks are within your workplace. Training teaches staff ways to reduce these risks, what to do in the event of a fire, and how to identify those that are high risk in a fire situation.

In a hospital, there are always many people who are extremely vulnerable if a fire breaks out. There are often many people there who are unable to move by themselves or people for whom smoke inhalation poses more of a health risk.

A hospital is also potentially a relatively hazardous environment. They are filled with large amounts of electrical equipment, mobile equipment and most significantly many sources of oxygen, other compressed gases and chemicals. This creates a higher fire risk than usual as well as a dangerous environment for evacuation and fire suppression.

So how do hospitals handle fire situations?

One of the most important elements of dealing with a hospital fire is communication. Staff must be fully and regularly trained on how to handle a fire situation so that they are well prepared should one break out. They attend multiple training days annually and prepare for numerous scenarios. Staff are always also aware of exactly where patients are and what their condition is. The nature of the fire alarm is also clearly communicated to all staff either before or during the alarm – whether it be a test, drill or genuine fire. This allows hospital staff to react at the appropriate level. For example, they wouldn’t evacuate an unstable patient for a simple drill. However, it’s important that drills are carried out regularly so that staff have practised their evacuation procedure thoroughly.

Alarms are ‘coded’ to indicate the area of the fire. Areas close to the fire have a different alarm sound than areas that are further away. As an example, the zone that contains the fire will usually have a continuously sounding alarm, letting staff know that they should act immediately and efficiently. Nearby zones will sound an intermittent alarm, indicating that staff should be alert and prepare for an impending evacuation.

This is where compartmentation comes in. Hospitals and most other large buildings are divided into compartments that can withstand a fire for a particular amount of time. This fire barrier gives occupants a chance to be evacuated and provides time for the emergency services to arrive and extinguish the fire.

Due to compartmentation or ‘zoning’, a hospital can have a horizontal phased evacuation. This means that those who can be evacuated, from the zone that contains the fire, or those closest, without assistance will be evacuated immediately. In a zone that contains a fire, patients who are difficult to move can be relocated to an adjacent compartment. This means patients only need to be moved a short distance if necessary, and this drastically reduces the dangers of being away from life support machinery during an emergency.

When the emergency services arrive, they will assess the situation and establish the scale of the evacuation that is needed, if indeed an evacuation is needed at all. Should fragile patients need to be evacuated due to the scale of the fire, this can be facilitated by emergency fire services.

If you are in hospital as a patient or visitor and a fire breaks out, the best thing that you can do is to stay calm and listen intently to the instructions of the hospital staff and the fire services when they arrive. Trust that these people are well prepared for this event, that they know exactly what to do and that there is a multitude of measures already in place to keep you safe.

Hospitals are well prepared in the event of a fire, how prepared is your business?

Call us at Swift Fire today to discuss your fire safety needs.

Do you know your fire safety signs?

Posted on by Daniel Youngs

Fire safety signs provide vital health and safety information in order to warn anyone that enters a building of potential hazards. They also provide instructions to ensure all staff and visitors to your premises are aware of how to avoid those hazards.

Safe Condition Signs

What are they used for?

These should be used to signpost emergency exits, escape routes and essential first aid equipment.

When should they be used?

They should be used to show where the emergency exits are and how to operate the doors on the escape routes, for example, ‘Push bar to open’.

What do they look like?

These signs can be green squares or rectangles with text as well as pictograms.

It’s really common to see the wrong signs used in buildings. It’s easy to accidentally use a green ‘Fire exit’ sign on the exterior of a fire exit door when it should be a blue ‘Fire exit keep clear’ sign. It’s worth seeking the advice of a professional when you first place your signs. That way you know it’s right and can keep it that way.

Prohibition Signs

What are they used for?

These signs are used to reinforce instructions that prohibit dangerous activities.

Where should they be used?

Inside your building to reinforce the prohibition of dangerous activities. The Health and Safety Regulations 1996 list these signs as a requirement.

What do they look like?

The signs are a red circle with a red diagonal line crossing through it. There will be a pictogram in black behind the diagonal line that indicates the nature of the prohibition. A good example is the ‘No smoking’ sign used as an example above.

Fire Equipment Signs

What are they used for?

To show the location of fire safety equipment and fire alarm activation points.

When should they be used?

Wherever the location of this equipment is not obvious or can become unclear in low light conditions. For peace of mind, we’d recommend signposting all areas where fire safety equipment is stored and all fire alarm activation points. This is worth getting right. It’s relatively low cost and you’ll be glad you spent the small amount of extra money when you’re able to identify your key areas easily in the event of a fire.

What do they look like?

The signs are a red rectangle or square with white pictures or text.

According to British Standard and ISO requirements, there are prescribed graphic design specifications for safety signs. Additionally, they are required to be visible under all material conditions, so you must always choose photoluminescent (glow in the dark) signs where it’s practical.

If you are unsure, you have the correct signage in your building, speak to us today at Swift Fire & Safety.

How to Observe Fire Safety Whilst Being Socially Distant

Posted on by Daniel Youngs

With so many businesses having returned to work since the lockdown restrictions eased, safety is at the forefront of all employers’ minds.  Because social distancing measures need to be adhered to, other health and safety measures need to be adapted in order to ensure that every person stays safe in the event of an emergency. Fire safety protocols must still be observed, and with some careful planning, need not be compromised.

Here are some guidelines on how to conduct and adapt Fire Safety procedures with social distancing in mind.

Now we’re back to work…

Business Managers and Owners will have assessed the safe return of employees and may just be operating with a skeleton staff or staggered work pattern.  Many have had to reduce the number of staff on the premises at any one time so that social distancing can be enforced.

Just because employee numbers may be down, the fire risks are still the same.  Therefore, if you are an employer, owner, landlord, occupier, or anyone else with control of the premises, this makes you the ‘responsible person’. If there’s more than one of you, you must work together to meet your responsibilities.

If your staff have been away for a while, they may wish to take a short refresher course in fire safety, whilst new staff members will need to undergo a fire safety induction.  It is important to keep all staff informed of any change in your fire safety arrangements, whether they are working on site or at home.

Fire drills in a socially distant workplace

Fire drills remain vitally important in the workplace.  If there have been changes made (either with new or different staff members, or with the fabric of the surroundings) in your workplace, then it is good practice to review your arrangements.  Are all fire exits still accessible? Are fire extinguishers still in date? Has there been a change in use in any of the rooms on the premises?

Your fire safety point might be in a small location, so new arrangements may need to be made to find a safe space with a larger capacity to ensure social distancing rules can be met.

So called ‘desktop drills’ are becoming more common, where an overview of evacuation procedures are provided to designated fire officers or the ‘responsible person’.  This, however may not account for the questions raised above, and cannot in all fairness be a good substitute for a physical fire drill.

Carrying out the drill

Before embarking on your drill, you should thoroughly review your current arrangements, based on the provision that your assembly point can accommodate the amount of people you have, at a social distance.  If it cannot, then it might be more sensible to create different, smaller zones, where lower numbers of people can congregate more safely.

Assign every employee to one of these new zones (taking into account those who might have mobility issues or disabilities), with a register for each.

Ensure that employees are instructed to leave the building in a calm but rapid fashion, observing social distancing rules as they go.

Do make sure that re-entry to the building is carried out in a sensible and safe way with each zone entering in turn to avoid ‘bottlenecking’ and crowding at the doors.

In the meantime…

Emergency services should only ever be called in the event of a real fire.  False alarms put undue pressure on the service as well as putting the health and safety of its operatives at risk unnecessarily.

Small fires can usually be tackled by a responsible person with an understanding of the fire extinguishers within your building.  Training in how to use fire extinguishers is a service that we provide here at Swift Fire & Safety, as well as offering fire risk assessments and other advice about general fire safety.

All You Need to Know About Fire Safety Equipment

Posted on by Daniel Youngs

There are regulations surrounding the use and maintenance of Fire Safety equipment for non-domestic premises in England and Wales.  These are detailed in the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, which offers guidance for fire and rescue authorities and other bodies, about their duty to enforce fire safety in non-domestic premises.

 

Fire Safety Equipment

There is a hope that fire safety equipment never has to be used, but it is vitally important that it will function properly if the worst were to happen.

The term Fire Safety Equipment covers many aspects that contribute to fire prevention.  The tools, devices and elements of equipment include

Not every item listed above is compulsory, but the size and type of your building will determine exactly which of these is needed.

 

Fire Safety Equipment Maintenance

All Fire Safety Equipment on your premises should be maintained and serviced regularly.  It is imperitive to have these checks carried out to not only meet legislation, but to protect every person in your premises.

Failing to keep up with maintenance and servicing of your equipment could be costly in the long run. If equipment fails through neglect, the repurcussions could be huge.

Electing a responsible person to take on the responsibility of Fire Safety is recommended; this person would oversee the organisation of all necessary maintenance and tests to ensure all equipment meets the required standards. This information should then be entered into a Fire Safety Logbook.

 

Fire Extinguisher Maintenance

In the case of fire extinguishers, the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 requires them to be present in all commercial premises, and to be serviced annually. We offer this service here at Swift Fire & Safety.

In order to ensure that extinguishers are in good working order, they should be checked by a competent person, ideally a certified expert.  Serveral checks need to be made including making sure that:

  • The extinguisher is in date
  • The extinguisher hasn’t been interfered or tampered with
  • The weight and pressure are correct
  • The instructions are clearly visible
  • The pin and hose are in tact
  • The extinguisher is in visibly good condition

Your certified expert will inform you of any action if it is needed and will advise you if and when old extinguishers need to be replaced.  The visit should be recorded in the Fire Safety Logbook.  You will be issued with a service label to prove the service has been carried out, which is important for Fire Safety Inspections.

Knowing how to use extinguishers effectively and safely can save lives and reduce damage should a fire start. Be sure you are compliant with Health and Safety Regulations and fully prepared for the unthinkable.

 

Fire Safety Policy

According to the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) order 2005, every business must have a Fire Safety Policy. It should explain the general safety policy in place, the duties of the elected responsible person, any training information, equipment and testing and any events relating to fire safety.

This demonstrates commitment to Fire Safety and prevention.

 

Swift Fire & Safety offers a variety of fire prevention and protection services throughout Peterborough and Cambridge to keep your business up to standard. If you’d like more information you can call us on 01733 602955, email info@fireandsafety.com or click here.

 

The Importance of Fire Safety & Training

Posted on by Daniel Youngs

When we think about fire, catastrophic scenes can spring to mind.  But when you consider that it was man’s first form of heating and cooking, we realise that it has played an integral part in developing the human species.

It is only when fire is not managed carefully that it becomes hazardous.  Flames and smoke can spread quickly causing untold damage to people, animals, property, and the environment.

Whether a fire is started intentionally or by accident, the heat and poor visibility caused by smoke can make it very difficult to deal with effectively. And sadly, in some cases even more difficult to escape safely.

Know the Risks

Fires can start in a variety of ways, either by accident, human error, or with intent to cause harm. Faulty electrics, kitchen mishaps, overloaded plug sockets, discarded cigarettes and storage issues with combustible materials can all be to blame for fires.  If these risks are identified and dealt with accordingly then the likelihood of fire breaking out is much reduced.

PAT testing of electrical equipment should be routinely carried out, and appropriate measures taken to ensure the safety of people inside the building.

Prevention

Minimising the risk of fire is important; take the risks seriously and put measures in place to counter them.  Installing fire alarms, smoke detectors and fire extinguishers together with a comprehensive fire safety plan will minimise the risk of fire taking hold, should it break out.

As fire safety awareness has grown, there has been an overall decrease in fires over the last decade or so.  Fire brigades are focussing more resources on fire prevention and advice on fitting smoke detectors and fire alarms. Fire Safety companies are also now serving the domestic sector as well as the commercial.

Installation of Fire Safety Equipment

No environment or area is immune from the risk of fire. Therefore, installation of early warning systems will maximise the chances of a safe escape. Alarms will sound loudly to warn people that fire or smoke has been detected.  Action can then be taken immediately to evacuate the building as safely as possible, and emergency services called.

Make an Action Plan

Compile a plan including safety routes out of the building, and the fire assembly point. Decide who should be responsible for the use of fire extinguishers if they are needed.  Whether you are at home or at work, share this information, and practice a drill; what could take minutes to practice could ultimately save lives.

If you employ 5 or more staff, you have a legal obligation to carry out a Fire Safety Risk Assessment.  Swift Fire & Safety have assessors qualified to do this; we will ensure your building meets the required standards, ensuring peace of mind.

Training

Knowing how to respond in the event of a fire is a valuable skill.  The actions of one person can have an impact on everyone around them and training will ensure that everybody knows what to do in an emergency situation.

Training should be continuous in order to stay up to date.  If your workplace has new staff, they will need to be trained, and refresher courses will be needed if your company moves premises.  Any change that affects the fire safety risk in your building will need to be addressed and appropriate training given.

Your duty of care is to the people within your building and by providing adequate training it ensures that everybody knows safety procedures, which will reduce the risk of injury, and even death, during a fire.  Your business will be protected, and a small fire could be contained, preventing it from becoming a huge blaze.

Fire and smoke damage can have huge financial consequences for any business. Can you afford to take any chances?

 

You can find more information about our fire alarm installation service here.