Whether you own a small shop, office or large corporation, as an employer it comes down to you to ensure that fire safety is maintained and that everyone in your employ knows exactly how to react in the event of an emergency.
Read on for EK Fire Protection’s guide to your fire safety responsibilities as an employer.
Who Is Responsible?
As per the gov.uk webpage on fire safety in the workplace, you are responsible for fire safety in a business or other non-domestic premises if you’re an employer, the owner, the landlord, an occupier or anyone else with control of the premises.
This individual is called ‘the responsible person’ and they are in charge of fire safety. This responsibility can be shared with others if needed, and you’ll have to work together to achieve your responsibilities.
The Responsibilities
Let's break down some of the responsibilities that you will have for your premises:
Fire Risk Assessment - You need to either carry out your own fire risk assessment or hire somebody to do this for you. This should then be regularly reviewed, as circumstances can easily change and you must ensure any potential risks are identified.
You’ll need to consider the hazards, who is at risk, ways to remove or reduce the risks and then record your findings.
Inform Of Risks - You must make sure you tell all staff or their representatives about the risks you have identified, so they are aware of them and can take precautions if needed.
Fire Safety Measures - Next you must put in place and maintain appropriate fire safety measures. This can include extinguishers, fire doors and fire alarm installation.
Create A Fire Safety Plan - This involves creating a plan with what to do in case of emergency. This plan should have evacuation procedures, locations of fire suppression solutions and any other relevant information.
Fire Safety Instruction - Finally you must ensure that you provide your staff with all the information they need in case of a fire, including fire safety training and any information that will help them in case of an emergency.
Most of these tasks will need to be completed multiple times a year, to ensure that everyone is up to date with their fire safety. Scheduled and unscheduled fire drills are key to testing whether everybody knows what they are doing in case of an emergency.
Fire Protection Services In The South East
If you are an employer who wants to ensure fire safety is maintained at your place of operation, work with the team here at EK Fire Protection. We can provide you with several services, including fire extinguisher and fire alarm installation, fire safety training and fire safety risk assessments.
Our reliable products and services will give you the peace of mind that you have met the legal requirements to keep your employees and place of business safe. If you’d like to find out more about the services we provide, feel free to contact us today.
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