What Are A Building’s Fire Marshal's Responsibilities?

Fire safety is essential to any home, business, office or building. While the risk of fire can seem low, there is never a 0% chance of a fire occurring somewhere. This is why it is vital that you have enough fire protection that will help you control and deal with fires. But all of this protection means nothing if nobody is trained on how to use it. This is where a fire marshal can help.

Read on to find out more about what a fire marshal’s responsibilities are.

Fire Marshal Responsibilities

A fire marshal is an individual who is selected by a business or building to be in charge of fire safety. They are responsible for guiding people out of a building safely in the event of a fire and trying to minimise the risk of fires occurring in the first place. They should also make sure that everybody in the building knows exactly what to do in the event of a fire, and regularly test them on this knowledge.

A fire marshal should be looking to stop fires from happening. They should do this by identifying hazards in the workplace and then reporting them, such as faulty equipment or flammable materials left around. They should also be carrying out regular checks on fire doors, fire alarms, emergency exits, exit routes and any fire protection equipment that is stored in the office.

When a fire occurs, their main responsibility is to safely evacuate the building and to make sure nobody re-enters until it has been deemed safe to do so. They should raise the alarm and contact the fire services. After that, they will work to guide people to emergency exits along predetermined routes. They should also be working to close fire doors and complete a sweep of each floor of the building to ensure that nobody is left behind.

If the fire is small, a fire marshal will also be in charge of dealing with this using a fire extinguisher, which they should be trained in using beforehand. Fire marshals are not in charge of making the area safe or securing valuables, these are the person who owns the building's responsibilities.



Fire Safety Services From Thameside Fire Protection

Fire marshals can be an essential part of your fire safety, but how do you make sure your fire marshal is up to the task? Thameside Fire Protection offers fire risk assessment and safety training for your fire marshal and the rest of your staff. This way in the event of a fire everybody will know exactly what to do and there will be less risk of panic or injury.

Call now on 0800 975 4888 for a free consultation with one of our team or visit our website today to find out more about the full range of services we offer.