Most of us welcome the news that primary schools in Wales will be re-opening later this month. This development, combined with the successful vaccine roll out across the country, brings us a glimmer of hope in terms of the easing of lockdown measures for businesses. With this in mind, now is the time to ensure that your business if fire safe so you can open quickly and securely once you are given the green light to do so.
If you’ve been closed since the end of last year, it’s important to do a check of the location and type of fire extinguishers that you have in place. You need to check that none of them are damaged or have been moved from their original location.
If you’re not 100% sure which extinguishers you need, check out the chart below:
If you’ve neglected to do so as you haven’t been operating, then you should also ensure your annual servicing has been carried out. An annual service isn’t only necessary to keep your premises, staff and visitors safe but, importantly, it’s also a legal requirement.
In addition to ensuring you have the correct equipment in place, if any of your fire extinguishers are stored outdoors or in areas which are susceptible to the elements, then you need to think about protecting the equipment too. If you don’t you will run the risk of the extinguishers becoming damaged and faulty. This is not only dangerous but can also be costly.
It’s far more cost effective to invest in a cabinet, box or fire jacket to keep fire equipment safe compared to paying out for new extinguishers.
Similarly, if your equipment is in area where it could be subject to accidental damage or even vandalism, protecting the extinguishers with a lockable cabinet is a good idea too.
The current Health and Safety Regulations 1996 state that fire safety signs are required and should be clear and legible within the premises. Fire safety signage plays an integral part in fire safety as they help people escape to safety in an emergency.
And we don’t just mean signs such as showing fire doors and exits! You should also ensure that you have in place the appropriate signage in the location of your extinguishers to show any building occupant what types of fire the extinguisher it is and where it can and cannot be used on.
Hartson Fire
At Hartson Fire, we can help with all of your fire safety needs from extinguishers, cabinets, jackets, signage and that all important servicing. To find our more visit our website https://hartsonfire.co.uk/ or call a member of our team on the number below:
