Here at Twenty4 Fire and Security, we support businesses of all shapes and sizes with their fire safety needs. From cafes in Cardiff’s city centre to office blocks in Newport, we are proud to be helping business owners look after their staff, premises and operate in a safe, compliant fashion. Spending a great deal of time at our customers’ properties, we get to see how these premises are managed on a day-to-day basis.
Below, we look at the most common mistakes businesses are making; dangerous mistakes that commonly crop up during fire risk assessments, emergency call-outs and maintenance visits.
Propping fire doors open
Fire doors need to remain shut. Designed to prevent the spread of fire (a very important duty!), ensuring they are operated property is paramount. However, we have found that over 30% of the properties we have visited are propping fire doors open in an illegal manner. Whether that be to make access easier or to let a breeze in, there are a huge amount of businesses increasing the risk of a dangerous fire spreading in their buildings.
Businesses can be fined up to £5000 for not propping doors open with proper retainers or wedges.
Not maintaining fire safety equipment
Fire alarms, sprinkler systems, emergency lighting, fire extinguishers and other fire safety equipment is installed in buildings for two reasons; to enhance safety and meet safety standards set out by the government. But, did you know that the upkeep on such devices is constant?
By law, fire safety devices need full maintenance checks every 6 months. In some cases, devices need to be checked weekly. The type of equipment needed and its upkeep will be uncovered in the findings of your fire risk assessment.
Failing to keep up with annual fire risk assessments
A detailed fire risk assessment needs to be conducted annually for most businesses and non-domestic premises. This needs to be carried out by a capable ‘responsible person’ or a dedicated fire safety partner like us at Twenty4 Fire and Security. According to the official government guidelines, the fire risk assessment must cover the following:
- Identify fire hazards.
- Identify people at risk.
- Evaluate, remove or reduce the risks.
- Record your findings, prepare an emergency plan and provide training.
- Review and update the fire risk assessment regularly.
Our in-house fire risk assessors have found that close to 60% of Welsh businesses are currently without an adequate fire risk assessment on record.
Conduct a free fire audit online
Worried your business is not up to scratch? If so, utilise our free fire audit tool. Presented in a quiz-style format, you can uncover your building’s fire safety shortcomings from your computer or smartphone.
Follow the below link to audit your business now:
