Did you know that over 147,000 fires were attended to last year? This includes incidents at business premises! Fires can cause incredible damage, regardless of whether they are at a residential property or a business premise, but when a business fire does occur, it not only leads to property destruction, upset and financial difficulties but also potentially a loss of livelihood for the company owner and employees.
Fire safety is very important and can make the difference between a small, contained incident and a full-blown blaze. It is also helpful to know what the leading causes of a business fire are so that you can prepare and protect yourself from them in the future.
Arson
Unfortunately, arson is often difficult to avoid for company premises here in the UK. It is particularly damaging to businesses when the assailant has deliberately aimed to cause as much destruction as possible, leaving 80% of companies seriously affected following the event of a major fire. When arsonists utilise accelerants, the damage can become widespread very quickly.
As a business owner, there are ways to reduce the risk of arson. That is why CCTV systems, fire alarms and fire alarm monitoring are all vital tools as they could save your premises in the event of an arson attack.
Combustibles
As for combustibles such as paper, wood and cardboard, you may want to switch to using more virtual elements instead. This can seriously reduce the chances of a fire within your business’s premises and help to keep you and your staff safe. Not only that, but it can help you to save money as you don’t require as much paper, printer ink and packaging. If you need to store combustibles in your office, it’s best practice to make sure that there is no clutter around that could go towards the spread of a fire. Storing them neatly in a separate room can help to reduce the spread of fire.
Faulty Electrics
Make sure that your premises have no faulty wiring or damaged electrical products anywhere within the building. Electrical fires are very common and can also happen if the office is dusty, which can cause devices to overheat and burn. This could easily lead to a fire, but ensuring you have the right type of fire extinguisher in place can help you to put it out quickly. You should regularly check your devices for any signs of damage and ensure you have fire safety measures in place.
In the event of a fire, fire doors will help you contain the spread of fire and having emergency lighting installed is essential to ensuring everyone can find the emergency exits quickly and safely. Every commercial premises needs these fire safety methods installed, so get in touch and find out more about how we can help you.
Human Error
Human error is another common reason that fires break out and spread in workplaces. That’s why you need to be on top of things to ensure your team is fully trained, up-to-date with the fire safety rules, and aware of the potential damage their actions could cause. If your staff don’t know what to do in the event of a fire, then human error could lead to a small fire escalating quickly throughout the premises. Human error is sometimes unavoidable. However, you can do your best to decrease the likelihood of fire by ensuring your staff are confident with the policies in place. This is especially important for new staff who have just started and older staff who may need a refresher course to remind them.
Outdated Fire Risk Assessment
Fire risk assessments are something that gets forgotten and pushed to the back of the to-do list. We understand how they can easily be left behind in a busy workplace but it’s really important it becomes part of the business process to regularly review your fire risk assessment.
When fire risk assessments are done, potentially high risk areas that may not have been spotted before can be discovered, helping you to prevent issues before they arise. It can help you figure out the right fire prevention methods that your business needs - like fire alarms - in order to reduce the risk to your premises, keeping you, your staff and customers all safe and sound.
How Can You Stop Fires In The Workplace?
At Jackson Fire & Security, we have everything your business needs to keep it safe from potential fires and limit the damage if one does occur. Whether it be fire doors, emergency lighting, fire alarms, fire extinguishers, fire risk assessments, or fire alarm monitoring, we are confident that we can help. Get in touch to find out more about our range of fire safety services!