A Fire Risk Assessment is a legal requirement for many businesses
No matter what sort of business you have, whether you manage properties, rent out houses to tenants, or you’re an employer, you have a legal responsibility to ensure fire safety. Part of this means that you need to carry out a Fire Risk Assessment. This is something that is a legal requirement for all businesses that have five or more people. If you do not do this, you could end up being on the wrong side of the law, facing serious fines and even imprisonment. Considering that fact, in this post, we will take a look at fire risk assessments in more depth so you can understand what they are and why they matter.
Minimise the risk of a fire happening
Needless to say, the fact that a fire risk assessment is a legal requirement is reason enough to acknowledge the importance of it and the need to have one carried out at your business. It is critical when it comes to reducing the chance of a fire happening. While accidents cannot always be prevented, you can do your best to stop them from happening by determining what the possible risks and hazards are in your environment and then putting steps in place to ensure that these risks do not become a reality.
What should you do when carrying out a fire risk assessment?
There are a number of different steps you need to take when it comes to carrying out a thorough and effective fire risk assessment. Firstly, you need to identify any possible fire hazards in your environment. You then need to decide who could be harmed by the risks in question and how this would happen. By evaluating these risks, you can then consider the different controls that can be used to mitigate them. All findings need to be recorded and then implemented, and you need to ensure that practicable control measures are put in place. You cannot simply do a risk assessment once and then forget about it. You need to review this every year or whenever there is a significant change in your business – whatever comes first!
One size does not fit all when it comes to fire risk assessments
It is critical to recognise that all businesses are different. There are different hazards you will need to contend with. Therefore, there can simply never be anything in the nature of a one size fits all fire risk assessment. It is all about determining what makes sense in terms of your business. There are a lot of different things that need to be factored in, including any vulnerable individuals – disabled people, children, and elderly people, for example – as well as an emergency evacuation plan, firefighting equipment, emergency exits and routes, fire doors, fire warning systems, and fire detection systems.
All things considered, the importance of a fire risk assessment cannot be ignored. This is critical in terms of reducing the chance of a fire happening and lowering the risk of any significant injuries or danger if one does occur.
If you need more information on a fire risk assessment for your business, contact Vital Fire Solutions via our online enquiry form here. Or call us on: 0191 375 5690.
One of our team will get back to you with details on how we can help very soon. Thank you for your time and interest in Vital Fire Solutions Ltd, part of the County Durham and Darlington Fire Authority’s service.