Fire Detection – Understanding Your Business Needs
FRSs attended 518,263 incidents in the year ending March 2021. Whilst false alarms account for 42 per cent of this figure there were still a devastating total of 150,296 fires throughout England. Fire still poses a serious risk to life so it’s crucial that you respect it and manage it effectively.
As an employer, it’s your responsibility to ensure your employees are safe at all times. Whether that means providing them with the correct protective equipment or protecting them from the risk of fire. The safety of employees is a huge responsibility for all business owners.
In this article, we are going to provide a comprehensive guide for everything you need to know about fire detection systems. Our goal is to help you set up your business in the best possible way to minimise the risk and destruction that fire can cause.
Fire Alarm Regulations for Business Owners
The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 is a 5 part of legislation that outlines the standards for fire safety in the United Kingdom. Whilst this legislation provides comprehensive detail around the matter there is often confusion around the exact requirements for businesses.
The main point to take away from the fire safety order is that all business premises must have ‘an appropriate fire detection system’. In simple terms, this means that an outbreak can be easily detected and an appropriate warning can be issued.
Best Practice For Fire Detection Location
Fire detection is the most important aspect of any businesses fire system. If the fire is not detected immediately, it gains the opportunity to grow and spread which increases the risk to employees. In the following section, we aim to cover some of the most important places you should locate your fire detection systems throughout your premises.
High-Risk Areas of the Business
What is exactly meant by a high-risk area of the business? A high-risk area of the business could be anywhere which could be prone to a fire breakout. The most obvious location would be the kitchen but other areas like a server room could be considered to be high risk.
Multi-Storey Commercial Premises
When planning out your fire detection systems it’s essential that you carry out a detailed fire risk assessment that will determine the grade of the fire system required to suit your building and its contents. Large business premises such as offices are some of the highest risk buildings when it comes to commercial fire safety, therefore, it’s essential that fire is detected efficiently across all levels of the building.
Storing of High-Risk Substances
If your business stores high risk substances such as chemicals or flammable building supplies it’s crucial that you have the correct level of protection in place. Fire detection systems can be employed in storage rooms to help minimise this risk, this means if any form of fire is detected this can be communicated to the business.
Fire Detection Article Summary
Detection is the single most important part of any businesses strategy to minimise the risk of fire within the workplace. We hope that this article has helped answer some questions you have about fire detection. If you have any further questions or you would like some assistance in finding the right solution for your premises please feel free to speak to one of our team members today.