Fire hazards are everywhere, whether at home or work. However, if you own a business, your legal requirement is to provide adequate protection for you and your employees. This means that you are legally responsible for taking all precautions to reduce the risk of fire and ensure that systems remain operational in the event of a fire.
Identify potential risks:
The first step in your fire risk assessment is to research and identify all possible hazards present in your workplace. This varies greatly from business to business, which is why these things are often very personal in your judgment. However, some things are almost always used, such as computers, electronics, document storage and smoking areas. You must try to see these risks as much as possible. Ignoring hazard identification and then this omission can cause a very dangerous fire outbreak.
Identifying people at risk:
After identifying existing risks, the next step is to identify who is at risk. You may feel like this is every employee in your workplace, and at the same time, you are ignoring anyone. For example, distributors, cleaners, members of the public, customers, etc., and you must think carefully about the move as it can be easily tried to speed up. Pay special attention to those who may face difficulties in the event of a fire, such as those with physical disabilities and those who speak poorly or do not speak English, who have a stroller or pushchair, etc.
Risk identification:
This can be kind of a strange move, after all, if you have already identified the risks and who is at risk, then surely you have already identified the risks? Actually, no, I figured out the risks and which of those risks are also associated. This step brings the two together so you can understand the risks that could arise if they lead to an actual fire. Therefore, it is your responsibility to eliminate these risks or try to reduce them.
Record Your Assessment:
These documents should be kept convenient and easily accessible so that staff can review the assessment if they wish. This will help them understand the risks and identify hazards and can be used to train personnel in fire safety rules. Your records should be updated regularly, especially as circumstances change. It could be adjustments to new hazards, even building plans, or even planning for “people”. Consult professional fire risk assessment companies. Not only that, they will use their expertise to provide advice and guidance to their employees to reduce or even overcome these risks. This advice can be invaluable as it can directly prevent fires or save lives in the event of a fire.
It is always wise to seek professional advice when assessing a fire hazard, as in the event of a fire everyone is at risk. It can be a burden for anyone. This is especially true if your company doesn’t have the right person. Often, assessing the risk of fire falls on the employer, which may be beneficial to you, but if you feel uncomfortable doing the process yourself, professional help is recommended. Not only will they bring more experience and knowledge, but they will also see a lot of things that you might have missed.