Office Fire Safety Checklist

Would your team know how to respond in the event of a fire? Without a proper fire safety plan in place, you could be endangering your employees, contractors and visitors, as well as leaving your business at risk of legal action in respect of fire safety non-compliance.

BDi Advance helps businesses across Cambridgeshire with their fire safety needs. Based on our experience and knowledge of the industry, we’ve produced the below tips to help you keep your premises compliant and protected from fire.

Tip 1:  Check Your Fire Alarms Regularly

Do your premises have the right type of fire alarms installed? It is important to regularly check your alarms to ensure that they are working and that they still provide the best protection for your staff and working environment. If you have the wrong type of fire alarm installed, or the alarm has been installed in the wrong place, the unit could take too long to respond to a fire, delaying notification of the emergency services, and allowing the fire to spread faster.

Annual maintenance checks of fire alarms is a legal requirement, and by choosing an experienced fire safety company such as BDi Advance to complete alarm servicing on your behalf, you can have peace of mind that your premises is protected in the event of a fire.

We’ll also help to keep you and your business compliant with fire safety regulations, so you can avoid hefty fines and (in the very worst-case scenario) possible imprisonment.

Tip 2:  Put Together an Evacuation Plan

Whether your business is based in a single-storey or multi-storey building, you should have a clear evacuation plan in place to ensure that everyone – including the most vulnerable – can easily exit the premises and head to a designated assembly point. You should base your plan around those with mobility issues to ensure that all routes are suitable in the event of a fire.

Your fire evacuation plan should also include periodic staff training to ensure that everyone in your team is aware of the safest access route, and how best to respond in the event of a fire.

Tip 3:  Service Your Fire Extinguishers Regularly

Businesses are legally required to install and maintain sufficient fire extinguishers – of the correct type – throughout their premises, to facilitate small fire extinguishing (where it is safe for employees to do so).  However, fire extinguishers can corrode over time, the gauge can fail, or pressure can be lost.  Annual servicing of your fire extinguishers will ensure that they remain fit for purpose and can be deployed effectively if required.

Tip 4:  Practice Makes Perfect

Practicing fire drills including evacuations and the use of fire safety equipment such as fire extinguishers should be an important part of your fire safety plan. The better prepared your team is in the event of a fire, the lower the likelihood of injuries or extensive damage to your property.

BDi Advance provides fire alarm installations to businesses across Cambridgeshire and East Anglia, with local engineers based in Huntingdon. To arrange a free site survey or to get a fire alarm quote, complete our contact form today.