The Most Common Fire Hazards in a Workplace
As an employer or business owner, it’s your responsibility to ensure appropriate fire safety measures are in place.
One of the first steps you should take to ensure staff, visitors and everyone else on your premises is safe is to identify the various risks and fire hazards in the workplace. Typically, a fire risk assessment will be carried out to assist with this.
If you own, run or manage a business, it’s important to understand the common fire hazards in a workplace, in order to avoid them.
In this article, the team here at Millennium Fire Protection will take a look at some of the most common fire hazards you’re likely to come across in your organisation.
What are fire hazards in the workplace?
Every workplace is different.
They will cater to different industries, offer different services and create different products.
With this in mind, it’s no surprise that every business is likely to face different challenges in terms of fire hazards in the workplace.
Despite this, there are a few common hazards that every organisation is likely to be faced with.
Electrical equipment
No matter what industry you work in, most businesses are likely to have electrical equipment on their premises. Broken plugs, overloaded outlets, faulty cables and damaged wiring are all extremely dangerous, and as well as the risk of electrocution, they can also be a fire hazard. In addition to being professionally inspected on an annual basis, you should also take the time to check electrical appliances and ensure they’re in good condition.
Excess waste
All businesses produce a lot of waste. Cardboard, paper and all kinds of packaging can build up over time, and it’s important they’re disposed of correctly to minimise the risk of a fire. All of these materials can act as fuel for a fire, helping it to ignite and spread. In order to prevent this waste from developing into a fire, it’s important to appropriately dispose of it as soon as possible and ensure it’s stored well away from potential ignition sources.
Smoking
Many businesses are likely to have smokers in the workforce. It’s important that these people are provided with a designated smoking area where they can safely smoke. Carelessly disposed of cigarettes can be a fire hazard, so it’s vital that a sand bucket is provided where people can safely discard them once finished. While most employees are likely to follow these directives, make sure to monitor those who do not and reiterate your company’s smoking policy if necessary.
Flammable liquids
Every company is likely to have some kind of flammable liquid on its premises. Even if your business does not handle these liquids as part of its day-to-day operations, you’ll almost certainly hold cleaning products that contain chemicals somewhere on the premises.
All liquids that are flammable, including cleaning solutions, should be stored correctly in an aerated cupboard that is located away from exit points.
Cooking equipment
If you own or run a restaurant, cafe or any kind of food and drink business, you’ll inevitably use cooking equipment on a daily basis. This could include ovens, gas and electric hobs, deep fat fryers and more.
These appliances can cause a fire if not correctly used or monitored, so be sure to operating them with care and always keep a close eye on how they’re being used. Fire fighting equipment, such as extinguishers and blankets, should also be kept nearby in these environments.
Who is responsible for fire safety in the workplace?
Ultimately, the responsibility for fire safety in every workplace will be down to the employer, business owner or person in charge of the premises.
In fact, The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 states that the responsible person must ‘take such general fire precautions as will ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the safety of any of his employees; and in relation to relevant persons who are not his employees, take such general fire precautions as may reasonably be required in the circumstances of the case to ensure that the premises are safe.’
While the premises’ ‘responsible person’ will be held accountable for fire safety, everyone within the organisation can play their part. This includes installing fire wardens among your staff and providing them with fire safety training to ensure they have the knowledge to identify fire hazards in the workplace and know what to do in the event of an emergency.
At Millennium Fire Protection, we can provide you with a whole range of products and services that will ensure you comply with your fire safety obligations and can keep people safe. From leading fire alarm systems to quality fire extinguishers, we always protect customers across Harrow, Ealing and Watford.