Fire Safety In The Office: Tips For Returning To Work

It’s been a long few months but, thankfully, many of us are being given the green light to get back to work. Which, for some, means returning to the office after a significant hiatus. As an employer, fire safety in the office is your responsibility, so use this time whilst staff aren’t around to take note of some fire safety protocols before normality resumes.

Here are our top tips when it comes to fire safety in the office:

  1. Thoroughly review your fire emergency plan

An emergency plan doesn’t just mean knowing where employees should go in the event of a fire – it means understanding the entire process, from how those in the building will be notified to reporting after the event. Fire safety in the office starts with a solid plan as to what will happen in the event of an emergency. As the old saying goes – failing to plan is planning to fail.

  1. Check your equipment

It may seem obvious, but couldn’t be more important. Before you let your employees return to work, checking your fire equipment – smoke alarms, fire alarms and fire extinguishers specifically – will at the very least put your mind at rest; ultimately, it could one day save a life. When it comes to fire safety in the office, or anywhere else for that matter, ensuring your active fire protection systems are up to date and in full working order is paramount.

  1. Know when your annual fire risk assessment is due

If you employ five or more individuals, UK law states that you must have a certified professional conduct an annual fire risk assessment on your place of work. Get ahead of the curve by reviewing your documents and checking when yours is due next – in fact, go one step further and get it booked in.

In the year 2019, England’s Fire & Rescue Authority attended over 8,000 fires which took place in non-domestic buildings – fire safety in the office is no joke. As we all try to leave the pandemic in the past, or at least move forwards with our lives around its repercussions, Excel Fire will be here as ever trying to create safe spaces for us all. Our expertise covers fire safety in the office amongst myriad other clientele we support, from multi-residence units to gyms, retailers and more – so don’t hesitate to get in touch if you’d like more information, advice and guidance on any of the above.

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