We do a lot of work to keep our clients safe from fires. This includes conducting compartmentation surveys. With the Fire Safety Order, it is a requirement for the ‘responsible person’ to make sure there is a safe way to escape at all times. In addition, they must ensure that fires can’t spread uncontrollably. A normal fire risk assessment would not work here as it can’t assess those hard to reach areas. Thanks to our specialist surveys however, we can cover every angle.
The survey
JLA did a national survey of 250 business owners and their fire safety practices back in 2021. The aim here was to check how the businesses were doing and whether they were prepared for false fire alarms.
The results were shocking to say the least. They found that UK employers are placing their customers and staff members at risk. This is because they fail to test their fire equipment to meet the legal standards. Many also fail to prepare staff for false alarms.
According to the data, more than a third of business owners (38%) didn’t have adequate fire risk assessments. On top of that, over 80% did not have written regulations against false fire alarms, as well as the dangers, in their company handbooks. It goes even further as well. Nearly 40% of those surveyed businesses had failed to give all their employees training on common false alarm causes. They did not teach them how to lower the chances of them happening in the workspace either.
The poor fire safety was especially prevalent in cafes, bars, and restaurants. The figure here rose to 75%.
What to do?
Businesses need to do more to counter this issue. For starters, they must guarantee that employees understand how to respond to false alarms. This is to lower business disruptions and increase safety.
In addition, they need to supply training to staff members on how to stop the false alarms. It will ensure people know what to do and can improve efficiency.
Finally, they have to ensure there is regular, effective maintenance of all their fire alarm equipment. Having the best fire compartmentation surveys in the UK will help too.
Some other key points
The events of 2020 definitely caused companies to shift their attention. A lot of focus went to business-critical decisions because of the big changes due to covid. Unfortunately the survey found concerning statistics around companies not providing suitable training to staff or not maintaining their safety equipment. The suggestion here is that if a fire were to happen, many businesses could be putting people in danger.
At present, British companies require the ongoing support of their staff and customers. So, prioritising safety and lowering the dangers of false fire alarms is essential for every business. Ensuring that fire alarms are constantly being maintained and tested is vital. It is also crucial to keep on top of testing for things like fire dampers, fire doors, and compartmentation.
Stay safe with our team and expert compartmentation surveys
At Trident Fire Protection and Training, we have a lot of experience with surveying buildings. Whilst performing them, we can access locales typically hidden from view. Smoke and fire can pass through such areas unnoticed, so it is vital to check them. We use dedicated survey cameras to do it and discover whether your building meets the right regulations.
If you would like to arrange compartmentation surveys with us, please let us know. We operate across the UK, serving all kinds of sectors.
