Preventing Fires through Effective Business Housekeeping
Understanding the science of the fire triangle—comprising heat, fuel, and oxygen—is essential for preventing fires. Here’s how to apply this knowledge to maintain a fire-safe workplace.
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Fire Drills are commonly seen as that frustrating regularity (…or in some case irregularity) that interrupts everyone’s busy schedule for little benefit.
However, they are a critical part of rehearsing your safe evacuation procedures, and can often uncover gaps in your evacuation planning which could make all the difference in a real fire – for example:
- Operatives with ear protection not hearing the alarm.
- A part of the building not being adequately checked for evacuation.
- The operative that needed to get that task completed before evacuating, putting themselves and others in danger.
A Few Common Questions Answered:
1. We had a false alarm two weeks ago and we all evacuated. Can that be recorded as our fire drill?
Of course. Hopefully everyone did their duty and someone timed the evacuation and was able to carry out a roll call. If not all these things happened, then some of the key questions might need answering… and with the correct procedures put in place, it would then be wise to conduct another fire drill to ensure that your new procedures work as intended.
2. How often should we be doing a fire drill?
That will depend on the size of the organisation. Six monthly rolls off the tongue but if there are only half a dozen people then probably twelve monthly is ample. Schools will often do one per term.
3. What is the maximum time that a fire drill should record for evacuation to take place?
Three minutes.
4. How do we go about carrying out a fire drill in a theatre or similar place of assembly?
More important is for the evacuation team to be drilled in procedure so that roles are discussed and clarified.
5. How can we make our evacuations more true to life?
Consider blocking off a route with a mock fire situation, observe how people respond to a challenge to the status quo and use their initiative.
6. How do we interrogate our fire alarm Panel?
Request you fire alarm company to train a team of people in the operation of a panel, testing via a call point, taking the system off watch to carry out a test, reading a zonal plan.
7. How should an evacuation be trained for in a nursing care home?
This is important to understand what the evacuation policy is, whether it be horizontal evacuation or vertical evacuation, either could include the need for evacuation mats or similar. Again, procedure is key.
At Blazequel, we provide comprehensive fire training services tailored for businesses of all sizes, including schools, hospitals, factories, and various workplaces. Whether you need fire drill sessions or have inquiries, feel free to contact us for assistance. We’re here to support your fire safety needs.
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