Fire safety within your commercial business

Fire risk assessment
It’s a legal requirement for the person responsible for the premises or business (known as the ‘duty holder) to regularly complete a fire risk assessment, evaluating the hazards that a fire would present. This involves identifying fire risks, including sources of ignition, such as heaters, lighting, naked flames, electrical equipment and items that get hot; sources of fuel that would burn easily, such as paper, rubbish, plastic, wood, rubber and foam; and sources of oxygen.
 
Your fire risk assessment should also identify the people at risk and identify solutions to improve safety, such as installing or improving fire alarms, fire extinguishers and other fire safety equipment. If more than 5 permanent members of staff are on the premises, the assessment should be written.
 
Having a fire policy
It’s important to create an emergency plan and ensure training is provided for the people using the building as to the correct procedure when a fire alarm sounds. The plan should clearly designate escape routes, fire exits (taking all levels of mobility into consideration) and a safely accessible assembly point.
 
Maintaining fire safety equipment
By law, fire safety equipment should be regularly maintained, serviced and tested; this includes:

• Fire and Smoke Alarms
• Fire Extinguishers
• Fire Blankets
• Fire Hose Reels
• Sprinklers
• Signage
• Emergency exits

Plus, all fire alarm and detection systems should be installed and maintained in accordance with BS 5839 and serviced at least every six months by a ‘competent person’. Duty holders should also test fire alarms every week to check they are working and familiarise building users with their sound.
 
Fire alarm inspection
A professional fire alarm engineer should conduct an inspection every six months, testing and calibrating sensors, setting the sensitivity, checking for corrosion and battery life, simulating input and testing input to the fire department.
 
Practical steps
There are a number of practical steps you can take to minimise the risk of fire. These include having a designated outdoor smoking area, ensuring any staff food being prepared is not left unattended, checking storerooms regularly and keeping them tidy, not allowing bins to overflow with paper and other flammable objects, and clearing around appliances to ensure there is no dust build-up. You could also store stock separately in a different location.
 
Insurance
With many years’ experience insuring commercial premises, we can ensure you have adequate cover in place, including building insurance, to cover the cost of repairing or rebuilding the premises in the event of damage. We can also arrange stock and contents cover to protect equipment, goods and possessions at the premises in the event they are damaged by fire, and other risks, such as flood, theft and vandalism.
 
You may wish to take out business interruption cover, helping to compensate for any financial losses you incur if you cannot operate your business for a period of time due to damage caused by fire or other insured risks. This covers you for loss of income during periods when you cannot carry out business as usual due to an unexpected event.  Naturally, the cover and policy limits may vary depending on the insurance policy in force.
 
To discuss your commercial buildings insurance and ensure you have adequate cover in place, please give us a call on 01992 703 000 or email insurance@mcdonaghs.co.uk
 
Our business is your protection