The health and safety of your employees should be the highest priority; it is your responsibility as an employer to ensure they have a safe working environment.Fire extinguishersshould be plentiful and easily located. It also makes good fiscal sense, as you can limit stock and property damages. Having measures in place to prevent and tackle fires is not just good practice, you need it legally, and for insurance purposes. 

It is a legal requirement to have a fire risk assessment, it is the first thing any fire authority will request to see. Legislation was introduced in 2005 under ‘The Regulatory Reform Order’ to streamline and simplify the legal requirements that businesses in England and Wales must adhere to. You have to have a ‘responsible person’ designated to ensure that assessments, maintenance, and procedures have been completed and put in place.  

Audits and Assessments 

Let’s start with identifying where your business is, and what it needs to do to be compliant. An Audit and assessments are used to show you have outlined your fire and safety plans and mapped where safety equipment is located. We have a fantastic partner who performs the fire risk assessments. We recommend JCH Safety as they are our qualified risk assessors of choice.   As part of this,they will ensure you have the right fire safety equipment in the right place. For instance, fire extinguisher for live electrical equipment is not the same as for kitchen fires. You can’t douse an electrical fire with water, as it will only make it worse. Is there a fire extinguisher on all business premises and have they been checked that they are still legal? A commercial fire extinguisher could save you thousands in claims and could be lifesaving.  

Fire Alarms 

An early warning sign can save lives. There are different forms of fire alarm systems; the most common being extreme heat detection and smoke detection. As a minimum, detection needs to be in circulation areas,  such as stairways of larger buildings. They need to be tested to make sure they are working.  You need to keep on top of all the equipment regularly. 

Extinguishers 

Fire extinguishers should be plentiful in any business, they can be used to stop a fire getting out of control. Not only are fire extinguishers used for protection, they should be seen as both Fire Protection and Prevention. The earlier the fire is dealt with, the less damage it can cause. Regular Maintenance is key. You need to test your fire extinguishers each year, and some fire extinguishers need to be discharge tested, or replaced in as little as 5 years.

Emergency Lights 

Maintaining your emergency lighting units is important to ensure that lamps are actually working, and the back-up battery is capable of lasting the full duration under British fire safety standards. The “responsible person” of a business or organisation ensures that the periodic checks are carried out and documented in a fire safety logbook. 

As one of the leading fire and security firms in the country, MES systems are second to none and offer more than just a solution. We take pride in the fact we offer quality after-sales care that is unmatched in the industry. Contact Us today to find out how we can protect your people and your property today!