In the workplace, there are many hidden hazards that you should be aware of on a day to day basis. To avoid any potential fire occurring in your business premises, it is crucial that you undertake a comprehensive fire risk assessment every year.
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This fire safety risk assessment should be thorough and a professional adviser will be able to help you with any fire safety training in your workplace as well. It is worth doing this because you have a legal obligation to keep your staff safe within your business premises.
You also want to ensure that your assets are as safe as possible in your business premises because it can cause a lot of financial difficulty and hassle if they are destroyed in a fire, even the smallest fire can cause considerable damage.
Overheated appliances
Electronics can run 24 hours a day, so it is important that you notice if any of these appliances are overheating. You should look at the electronics on your laptop, your computer, your printer and anything in the kitchen which may also overheat such as a kettle, a toaster and so on. Electronic items do generally overheat when they are on for a long time but in some circumstances they can become so hot that they start a fire and if they are near any flammable materials, this is a hazard to your workplace. For the same reason, overloaded plug points and excessive use of extension cables should be avoided also.
Flammable Materials
If you have a lot of clutter in your business, for example, a lot of boxes and paper which is piled up in storage, you should make sure that you de-clutter as often as possible to avoid any fire risk. Paper can very easily catch alight and if this does happen, then fire could spread through your business property very quickly. Make sure you recycle your paper or shred it if it is personal or sensitive information.
Dirty Appliances
When oil or spillages build up in the kitchen area of your workplace, these can become flammable when ignited. You may not notice any grease in the kitchen so you should make sure that you inspect and clean areas regularly to avoid any potential fire.
Nonworking Fire Alarms
You really need to ensure that you check your fire alarms on a regular basis. Every month you should ensure that you check the fire alarms, and every few months should carry out a fire emergency drill so that anybody who works in your business premises can understand how to act in the event of a fire and where they need to go.
Old Wiring
Old wiring can be very dangerous so make sure that all of your electronic items have a PAT test every single year. It is important that you do this so that you can be sure the appliances are safe when using them. If you notice that any wires are becoming frayed or cords look damaged, report them immediately and cut the power from this source until it has been looked at.
Talking the time out to check these things can really save you, your employees and your business premises from the most devastating consequences.
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