Fire Hazard Identification - What The Fire Regulations Require Of Businesses - By: K Garrow

The requirement to carry out a fire risk assessment is one of the most important changes to fire safety regulations in England and Wales in recent years. The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, which came into effect in 2006, emphasises this important procedure as a means of precaution and action in the face of fire hazards. By following the correct procedure for an assessment, any business should be well prepared to prevent and deal with any potential fire hazards on their premises.

The fire safety assessment must be made by what the legislation refers to as a Responsible Party and it is a means of ensuring that proper training is in place and that any potential safety risks are identified and dealt with. The procedure should highlight clearly any fire hazards and set out how it should be minimized or removed. This process covers materials used or stored within the building, training to deal with these materials, training on how to handle a fire in process, and a clear and practiced escape route. The assessment process is a preventive step that helps distinguish potential risks, ensures the training of employees to react in a careful and knowledgeable fashion and requires the building to comply with current regulations.

The first of part of checking for fire hazards should be to look directly at flammable and combustible material found in the building. It is important to make sure chemicals are stored in an appropriate manner and handled in a careful and cautious way. These chemicals could include various petroleum products, paints, stains, or lacquers. Employees are trained to use the dangerous substances as sparely as possible and having a minimum amount in storage.

Another possible fire hazard is a poorly ventilated building. Dust or vapors collecting in the air can create an explosive building environment. Having well ventilated air in the building and eliminating all ignition sources can greatly reduce this threat. Daily work activities as well should be examined for any potential fire hazards. It can also be useful to minimise heat and dryness in a building, as an extra precaution because these too can increase the risks.

In case a fire breaks out the Fire Safety Order has certain procedures that must be taken by trained employees. The Order maintains that an employee must be given the means and training to effectively fight a fire. Providing a way to smother the flames, a fire extinguisher, or an open water source are all solutions depending on the particular situation. If a fire is too big to extinguish the employee should be trained to begin evacuation of the building.

Proper alarms are required and they should be sounded to alert everyone in the building to the potential threat. Well lit escape routes are required to be made available and employees should be trained to use them in a reasonable and efficient fashion. All regulations, procedures, and methods are required to be available to all employees at anytime. Following the preventive measure known as the fire safety assessment any business should be well prepared to prevent and deal with any fire hazard.

About the Author

Read more about identifying a fire hazard on the author's website, which provides a guide to fire regulations and advice on issues including the use of fire consultants.

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