SPRING 2022 FIRE SAFETY Plan and protect against fire Assess the risk of fire to ensure your staff and premises are safe Businesses have faced extremely testing times over the past two years, as they strive to survive the pandemic. As we now learn to live with COVID-19 and staff, in many cases, adopt hybrid models of working it is vitally important that you maintain fire-safety measures. Stringent evacuation procedures are vital, so good practices must be adopted to ensure staff who are in the building are all accounted for in the event of a fire Stringent evacuation procedures are vital, so good practices must be adopted to make sure staff who are in the building are all accounted for in the event of a fire. Among the biggest causes of fire in business premises are electrics and electrical equipment, so ensuring the safety of these reduces the chances of a blaze and the risk to staff. All fixed wiring should be tested periodically, normally every five years, and you should have an inspection process such as PAT testing in place for portable appliances and equipment. It is recommended this is done once a year. To protect your business, it is important to look at what the fire risks are in your premises. Remove anything that could start a fire for example, consider replacing a combustible or flammable product or liquid with a non-combustible one. If this is not possible, look at how you can control the process to reduce the risk of fire, such as limiting the quantity of the product and removing other ignition sources. By undertaking a full fire risk assessment you can identify the risks present within your business, and put in place the correct controls and measures. This will support your compliance with fire safety law and help keep your staff safe. Author credit: Ian Jones, West Midlands Fire Service Image: iStock / Oleg Blokhin / BrianAJackson For more information, go to the West Midlands Fire Service website. To arrange a visit by an adviser, contact your local station or call 0330 058 9000. Plan for the worse Fire is by no means the only threat your business could face, and all firms should have strategies in place to ensure their survival in the event of an emergency. No matter how successful a business operation is, it can be easily disrupted by everything from floods to power cuts and as we have seen since 2020 a worldwide pandemic. Making sure your firm is able to continue to operate after such an incident is vital and thats where a business continuity plan comes in. It sets out exactly how your company will operate during or after such an incident for instance, by putting in place procedures for employers to stay in touch with employees should they have to do their jobs from home for a while. It should also highlight the procedures you will follow to resume normal business as quickly as possible. A good continuity plan is well thought out, researched and detailed. It includes essential data and information, and key people in the business should be involved in putting it together. For more information on how to formulate a plan, see the Winter 2020 edition of TSBN. For further information, please contact your local Trading Standards Service