Date: 31st March, 2023
Local businesses are being encouraged to accept a free fire safety check if they are contacted by Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service.
Business fire safety checks involve firefighters visiting selected premises, based on their detailed local knowledge, and meeting with the Responsible Person. The aim is to give simple advice on how to make the property – and the people within it – safer from the risk of fire, or confirm that the right things are being done.
Amongst the areas looked at during the visits are alarm systems, escape routes and fire safety management.
Business Fire Safety Manager Emma Turner said: “Fires in the workplace can destroy a business, but so many are preventable. Business fire safety checks focus on the places where people shop, work, play and visit, and help to ensure that our local businesses continue to flourish and prosper.”
One area that firefighters will be focusing on with the checks will be the business’s fire risk assessment, ensuring that it is still appropriate – especially if any changes have been made within the premises to cut down running costs.
Ms Turner added: “Cutting back on things like routine maintenance and staff training may seem a quick win to save money, but a fire could see the business close permanently. Our checks are not a replacement for the requirements of fire safety legislation, but they do provide either reassurance or guidance on how to keep within the law. We’re always happy to give advice, and there is a wealth of information on our website to help businesses understand what they need to do to keep their premises safe.”
More on business fire safety, including how to complete a fire risk assessment, can be found at www.dwfire.org.uk/business-fire-safety