Is Your Business Fire-Ready?

When was your heating system last serviced? If your heating system was to cause a fire, how might this happen?

Heating systems are responsible for around 3% of residential fires, but 11% of fire deaths in the UK. 

One of the most common ways for a fire to start is for flammable materials to be left too close to a heater. In addition, vents and flues can become blocked over time, causing systems to overheat.

Blocked vents can also cause carbon monoxide to be generated and leaked into the building. 

Would you know if there was an excess level of carbon monoxide in your environment?

As it is odourless and causes drowsiness, carbon monoxide can be lethal because it is impossible to detect at low concentrations and hard to escape at higher concentrations. 100-200 people in the UK die from carbon monoxide poisoning every year. Installing carbon monoxide detectors in areas where you have older heaters can save lives.

Does your kitchen use an induction hob or gas/heating element? Do your kitchen areas have flammable items stored properly?

At least 10% of business fires start in kitchen areas. Ensuring your cooking equipment is serviced regularly lowers the risk of fires caused by gas leaks or faulty heating elements.

Additionally, keeping flammable materials like oil away from sources of ignition reduces the chance of accidental fires.

If an oil fire broke out, how would you tackle it? What extinguisher would you deploy?

In industries where oil fires are common, it is vital staff are well-versed in dealing with them, as if they are tackled incorrectly, they can be accelerated rather than suppressed.

An oil fire should be dealt with by smothering it with a fire blanket (or by placing the lid back on the pot containing the burning oil).

Alternatively, wet chemical fire extinguishers are specifically designed to deal with cooking fat, oil and grease fires.

Are all flammable materials stored in areas well away from ignition sources?

Between 2010 and 2020, around 14% of workplace fires in the UK were caused by flammable materials being placed too close to sources of ignition. Workplaces that fell victim to this more frequently than others were workshops, where sparks or materials heated by friction ignited combustible items.

Would you consider locating all dangerous materials in one fire safe room/environment with early detection apparatus?

Placing flammable materials in a fire safe room can serve a dual purpose. Firstly, if the materials are ignited, the fire resistance of the room will provide plenty of time for staff to evacuate the building. Secondly, if a fire starts elsewhere, these materials will not be easily available to accelerate the fire, and the scale of the damage may be limited.

With early detection apparatus, such as a VESDA system, the chemicals emitted before ignition can be identified, and a warning can be sounded. This either gives an opportunity for the fire to be nipped in the bud, or provides ample warning for the building to be evacuated safely.

More than one in five fires are caused by arson, and arson is responsible for around 50% of all fires attended by the emergency services. In 2017/18, arson was estimated to be responsible for damage worth £5.73bn - £11.46bn.

It can be hard to stop a fire caused by arson once it has started, but they can be prevented in the first place with effective security measures. 

What security measures do you have in place to prevent unauthorised access?

Limiting access to your premises to only authorised individuals greatly reduces the risk of bad actors committing crimes that could harm your business. Among the crimes prevented, arson is probably the most devastating, and it will have the longest recovery time.

However, it’s worth noting that this will not entirely eliminate the risk of arson. Though that statistic is likely outdated, a study performed by the Arson Prevention Bureau in 2003 found that a significant number of workplace arson attacks were committed by employees.

If arson was committed, could you easily identify the perpetrator from your CCTV footage?

With many older CCTV systems, it is a slow and laborious process to track back through footage and find an incident. Even more frustrating is locating an incident, only to find the footage is of insufficient quality to identify the perpetrator.

For instance, with an older CCTV system, positive ID may be difficult, as the footage may be too low quality, or the light levels too low for a face to be easily discerned. This could be devastating, both for your ability to achieve justice, and for your business, financially.

This is because positive ID will be a major factor in the successful prosecution of an arsonist, as well as for securing an insurance payout. An insurance company will be reluctant to pay if there is a possibility that the arsonist has any connection to the business owner.

If you’d like to learn more about how you can use more modern CCTV systems to improve your workplace security, click here.

Is your fire suppression system appropriate for your business and its important assets?

Some businesses may have assets that are vital to their function which could be damaged or destroyed by a conventional, water-based fire suppression system. Obvious examples of this would be electronic systems like computers and servers, electrical machinery, or paper documents. The water in a fire suppression system has often been there for a long time as well, and typically taken on a black colour, from corrosion in the pipes in which it's stored. For items vulnerable to staining, such as art, books or historical artefacts, a water suppression system could be just as damaging as a fire.

There are also situations where gas or chemical systems would be ill-advised. Laboratories, clean rooms and pharmaceutical manufacturing facilities often have strict controls in place to maintain temperature, humidity and cleanliness at a particular level. These could be disrupted by the release of a chemical fire suppressant, even if it’s comparatively inert, compromising ongoing operations or delicate processes.

Some suppression systems use CO2 to put out fires, and while this is not an obvious threat to any physical items, it has the capacity to damage your business’ most important asset - its employees. A CO2 system will rapidly fill a room, displacing the oxygen necessary for human life to continue. For this reason, a CO2 fire suppression system should never be installed in an area with human occupants, or those holding animals either, such as pet shops or stables.

If you’re looking for a fire suppression system, but are uncertain as to what would be the best choice, feel free to get in touch. We’d be happy to help you find a system that’s perfect for your workplace.

When were your fire extinguishers last serviced? Who were they serviced by and were they fully qualified to do so?

Fire extinguishers need regular maintenance to ensure proper function is maintained. Allowing your fire extinguishers to go too long without servicing risks them malfunctioning when needed most.

Firstly, an extinguisher that hasn’t been serviced recently may be low on pressure or completely discharged, so it will be ineffectual or useless in a fire.

Second, the extinguisher may be damaged or corroded, which can cause leaks or malfunctions. A damaged extinguisher may not work as intended, and could even cause injury if it ruptures or explodes.

Third, the extinguisher may have expired or reached the end of its service life. Fire extinguishers have a limited lifespan and must be replaced or recharged after a certain period of time.

Extinguishers even need to be serviced when first installed as they may lose pressure or receive damage while in transportation.

Are all your staff confident with the use of different fire extinguishers (Foam, CO2, Dry Powder, etc)? Do they know when each type should and should not be used?

The following chart explains the types of fire that each extinguisher is best suited to:

For further details on the types of fire extinguisher, and their uses, check out our blog, "The Types of Fire Extinguisher and How to Use Them".

Who of your staff is likely to be the least confident in using a fire extinguisher? Would you feel comfortable if they were the first on the scene of a fire? If not, what are you doing to improve this?

You can never guarantee who will arrive at the scene of a fire first, and those first few seconds can be crucial. For this reason, your staff should be properly trained in the correct use of all extinguishers your workplace holds. An employee who is not confident in the use of a fire extinguisher may:

• Hesitate, giving the fire time to spread further.
• Use the extinguisher in an ineffective manner. In the best case scenario, this just leads to the fire being extinguished more slowly than needed. More likely is that they fail to extinguish the fire entirely, or even spread it further.
• Use the wrong fire extinguisher, potentially exacerbating the fire.
• Injure themselves. Holding the horn of a CO2 extinguisher can cause ice burns, the powder from powder extinguishers can irritate and damage lungs, and extinguisher chemicals can be toxic.

Where on your premises would be most difficult to evacuate from? What could you do to improve evacuation times from this location?

By identifying the rooms that would be hard to evacuate quickly, businesses can take steps to improve their evacuation times.

This could include regular fire drills to familiarise the room’s occupants with their evacuation procedures, early warning alarms to prompt an evacuation before a fire can spread quickly, or rearranging doorways (if possible) to provide faster routes to the building’s emergency exits.

Are your fire exits easy to open? Is this tested regularly? Are your escape routes clear of obstructions (including any flammable materials)?

Any obstructions on an escape route, such as doors that are hard to open, can cause dangerous delays to evacuations. If your building is close to occupation capacity, evacuation times may become dangerously long, risking injuries or even deaths.

Flammable materials stored near fire exits or on escape routes can entirely prevent escape. This can cause crushes or stampedes as evacuees are forced to find an alternate exit. 

Would staff be able to find their way out if a fire caused a power cut? Do you have sufficient emergency lighting and signage?

Illuminated signs can save lives in a fire, as smoke can quickly fill a building, making it difficult to see and navigate. In such situations, it can be easy for people to become disoriented and lose their way, leading to injuries or even fatalities.

Illuminated signs act as a clear guide for people to follow safely. They are designed to be highly visible, even in dim or smoky conditions. Seeing the signs can also help people feel less panicked, which is especially important in high-stress situations.

Would a visitor be able to find their way out in a fire? Are your visitors briefed on appropriate exits when they first arrive?

Finding your way out of an unfamiliar building can be difficult at the best of times, depending on the layout.

In an emergency, such as a fire, people are liable to panic. This makes it especially easy to get confused when looking for an exit. In addition, the entrance they used may not be an emergency exit, or the route they took may now be blocked by fire.

Briefing visitors on the nearest emergency exits can save both the life of the visitor, and potentially that of a firefighter sent in to find them if the visitor was unable to evacuate.

Do you have fire notices in prominent locations, detailing the actions to take in a fire?

Fire notices in prominent locations are more visible to building occupants. This means people are more likely to see them and learn important fire safety information, like evacuation routes, extinguisher locations, and fire alarm procedures.

They can also improve awareness of fire safety issues among occupants, helping prevent fires occurring in the first place.

In addition, prominent notices can satisfy an employer's legal obligations to ensure employees are well equipped to safely fight fires, or evacuate quickly.

Do you have a Personal Emergency Evacuation Plan (PEEP) for disabled occupants?

While many disabled people will be able to evacuate in a timely manner with other building occupants, some will need Personalised Emergency Evacuation Plans to ensure their safety.

This plan will consider their disability, other related requirements, where they are within the building, and their best evacuation route.

Do any of your staff have impaired hearing and/or sight? How would they be alerted?

Traditional audible alerts may be less effective for employees with impaired hearing, or those who are totally deaf. The usual solution is to use alarm systems that also have flashing lights, though depending on the frequency of the flashes, these may not be sufficient for those who also have poor vision.

In this instance, strobe lights may be more effective, though they will of course pose risks for other employees who may have light-sensitive epilepsy.

Another alternative is tactile or vibrating alarms that are worn by these employees as a wristband or pendant. In the event of a fire alarm, these devices will vibrate and alert the wearer to the emergency.

How quickly could you get 80% of your business back up and running after a fire?

Ensuring your business can continue running, even at a reduced capacity, is crucial, as it means the pause in your revenue stream will be as small as possible. This is important as, even while you aren’t making money, your business will still be incurring costs. Pay, rent, utility bills and materials costs will still be coming out of your company’s accounts, and with no revenue stream, you could very quickly find yourself in the red. This is not to mention the cost of replacing the items destroyed in the fire.

On top of this, the longer you are out of action, more customers will go to other businesses to have their needs met. Your market share will shrink, and your income may be insufficient to keep up with your costs once you are operating again.

Finally, by ensuring your revenue stream is restarted sooner, you can speed your recovery. By diverting profits to the rebuilding/restoration of your workplace, including getting that remaining 20% of your business back on its feet, you can bring your income back to full strength faster and limit the long-term impact of the fire on your business.