Can You Perform Your Own Fire Risk Assessment?

Fire safety services are an important part of running a successful business. Whether you have an office or warehouse where no customer ever sets foot, or a retail space with plenty of clients, fire safety is essential. You don't want anyone to get injured due to not following fire security procedures, so a performing fire risk assessment is always a good idea. It's also a requirement for most companies. 

So, can you do your own fire risk assessment? The short answer is yes, but it must meet certain specifications. In order to do your risk assessment, you should follow the HSE guidelines. Here's what you can do to ensure your business, employees and customers are safe:

Locate Potential Hazards

Walk through the building with your appointed helper and determine where the biggest fire risks are. These may include:

●     Flammable materials in large quantities

●     Chemicals

●     Open flames or extreme heat

●     Blocked exits

●     Passages with limited movement permitted due to obstacles

Once you've identified the risks, you will need to take steps to reduce the risks. This means figuring out what to do to eliminate them. For example, if you have a blocked fire exit or a hallway with too many obstacles, you should assign someone to clear these areas out. Make sure there is always a free path to the exit, or preferably several. 

Identify Those with Particular Needs

Some people may need more help than others. For example, someone in a wheelchair will need to know where the accessible exit is, or they will need to rely on others to get them out of the building if there is a fire. Pregnant women and new mothers may also have special requirements that you'll need to consider. Determine who is the most at risk in the building and ensure you have a plan for them. You may even want to assign someone to them to ensure the person gets out easily. 

Assign Responsibilities

Everyone should have a responsibility in an emergency. For some, this will simply be to leave the building. For others, it will require checking that everyone has left and ensuring no one is hiding or unable to get out. When everyone knows what their responsibility is, the entire building is safer. 

Select Evacuation Routes and Practice Them

Ensure that every single employee knows how to evacuate the building safely. They should be able to reach the nearest exit easily and quickly if there is a fire alarm. They should also know where to meet up so you can do a head count and ensure everyone is present. Be sure to practice this frequently as fire drills so everyone is very familiar with the steps.

Fire safety is nothing to take lightly and it's a good idea to have fire safety consultants come in to look around. They can help you design an escape plan and conduct a fire risk assessment with all their findings in writing.

If you'd like to book a fire risk assessment with fire safety consultants, contact Thameside Fire Protection Ltd. today to schedule one.