As an owner, employer, landlord, or anyone else in control of non-domestic premises, the responsibility of fire safety falls on you.

In the process of trying to start your fire safety plan, you’ve likely already realised this and looked online for answers, which is why we’ve made this guide to help with building and implementing your plan effectively.

We’ll go over three distinct features of a fire safety plan in this post – fire protection maintenance, hazard control, and evacuation procedures – and how you can incorporate them into your building.

Hazard Control

When thinking of fire hazards, your mind likely wanders towards cigarettes – thanks to those traumatising advertising campaigns on telly, no doubt.

Of course, cigarettes can be a major fire hazard when improperly disposed, but changes to smoking laws have largely removed this issue.

Today, greater vigilance of less noticeable risks is needed – overloaded sockets/extension leads, combustible materials (especially in fire escapes), or flammable liquids and gasses that are stored incorrectly can all cause a fire.

Fire hazards aren’t exclusively fire starters, either. Poorly managed evacuation procedures, defunct fire safety equipment/doors, or even obstructions in fire escapes can all be massive risks in the event of a fire. Which leads us onto our next fire safety plan feature…

Fire protection maintenance

No matter how well you manage potential hazards, fires are unpredictable by their very nature, which is why having the correct equipment in place is so important. But it’s not enough to simply own fire extinguishers; they also need to work.

Regular testing of fire safety equipment is required by law, with specific criteria required for each category – working fire alarm systems being the most obvious example.

Escape routes must also be clear, fire escapes and fire doors must be able to open/close properly, and fire exit signs must be clearly visible and properly positioned.

Carrying out these checks yourself can be difficult, as most schools or offices don’t really want to be doing a sprinkler test-run around lunchtime, or checking to see if their walls really are fire-resistant.

In the same vein, knowing the legal requirements or faults to look for in fire doors – measurements, materials, regulations – isn’t particularly relevant to your daily life. But it is to us.

At Keep Safe Solutions, our checks and services for fire doors in Liverpool are swift yet thorough, and if we find any faults with them that can be easily fixed, we offer to repair them the same day.

You can try identifying some of the more salient faults yourself beforehand with this government guide.

If you’re planning on expanding, it’s also worth noting that any extensions to your premises will need to comply with fire safety regulations, including appropriate designs and properly incorporated fire safety features.

Again, we’ll save you from poring over the government website by telling you the issues that need addressing during our visit.

Evacuation

This is the final feature of a complete fire safety plan, and one you’ll likely have experienced through your office or school’s fire drills.

Although it can be dull standing outside, waiting for the test to end, proper procedure is important – and previous experience in fire drills won’t necessarily carry over.

Not only must signs, doors, and alarms all be in check, but everyone needs to know the correct path out, where to convene, and have practice using the escape doors and routes.

You should also factor in how mobility issues or strength (for children and the elderly) may affect someone’s ability to leave during a fire, and plan accordingly to accommodate their needs.

Awareness

Ok, we may have lied on there being just three key features… but our fourth entry places the responsibility on everyone, not just the owner.

We know the reputation of school or office safety talks, but a short training course will always be preferable to being clueless in the event of a fire – even if it’s just a refresher class.

If you don’t fancy your public speaking skills, we also offer various training courses for fire safety to help get everyone informed and well-prepared (without boring you to death!).

Now that you know what’s expected, remember to ask yourself the following before crafting your fire safety plan: what potential fire hazards are there? Who is at risk? How can I manage these risks? And how prepared is everyone in the event of an emergency?