In the hustle and bustle of running a business, fire safety can often take a backseat. However, the consequences of neglecting this crucial aspect of workplace safety can be devastating. Fire incidents pose a significant threat to lives, property, and business continuity.
A Fire Risk Assessment is a comprehensive evaluation of potential fire hazards in your workplace. It identifies the risks, assesses their severity, and recommends appropriate control measures to mitigate them. However, workplaces are dynamic environments, and changes can occur every day (Did you even think about the potential change in fire risk when putting up your Halloween decorations this year?). These seemingly small changes can introduce new fire hazards or alter existing ones, rendering your Fire Risk Assessment outdated. Regularly reviewing and updating your Fire Risk Assessmentensures that it remains an accurate reflection of your workplace's current fire safety profile.
So, let's have a look at some statistics: Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service conducted a survey and found after a disaster such as fire:
They also found further issues such as loss of custom, regulatory penalties, staffing concerns and increased insurance premiums.
Therefore, simply looking at these statistics, shows how it's imperative to take proactive measures to minimise fire risks and ensure the safety of your employees, customers, and assets.
Whilst a Fire Risk Assessment is undertaken sometimes, it is placed in a drawer and forgotten, however, a key step in this process is regularly reviewing and updating your Fire Risk Assessment and this is what we plan to cover today.
The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 states assessments should be reviewed as follows:
(3) Any such assessment must be reviewed by the Responsible Person regularly to keep it up to date particularly if—
(b) there has been a significant change in the matters to which it relates including when the premises, special, technical and organisational measures, or organisation of the work undergo significant changes, extensions, or conversions.
In summary, Fire Risk Assessment reviews should be conducted regularly, but also whenever there are indications that the assessment is no longer accurate or whenever significant changes occur that may impact fire safety in the workplace. By proactively reviewing and updating Fire Risk Assessments , businesses can minimise fire risks and ensure the safety of their employees, customers, and assets.
In addition to these 2 points, the keyword on top of the specific given reasons in the legislation is "regularly". There is no exact definition for what regularly is, however, it is widely accepted and recommended by the Chief Fire Officers that reports should be reviewed annually to meet the "regular" section of the legislation.
As part of a report, a Fire Risk Assessor will also make a recommendation for when the report should be reviewed or the validity of the Fire Risk Assessment undertaken ends. This period could be a far shorter or longer period depending on the risk found in the property. For example, if the property is found to be high risk and intolerable the recommendation for review could be as short as a month or two. This recommended date should always be followed, as in the view of the competent person undertaking the assessment, this is deemed the next suitable date for review.
Potentially Reduced Insurance Premiums: Insurers often view Fire Risk Assessments favourably, potentially leading to lower premiums.
Peace of Mind: Knowing that your fire safety measures are up-to-date provides peace of mind for business owners and employees.
There are several steps you can take to update your Fire Risk Assessment:
Regular review and updating of your Fire Risk Assessment are not just a legal obligation but also provide critical steps in safeguarding your business from the perils of fire. By proactively addressing fire hazards, you protect the lives of your employees, customers, and assets, providing you with peace of mind.
Remember, fire safety is not an afterthought; it's an ongoing commitment that requires constant vigilance and action. Doing so, allows you to focus on ensuring the continuity and success of your business.
We have a team of fire safety experts, on hand, to assist you with undertaking regular reviews of your Fire Risk Assessment. Not only that, but we will also remind you when your assessment review is due, offering you a peace of mind solution and allowing you to focus on your business.
As Fire Risk Assessment providers, we also provide after-assessment assistance and guidance, where we will support you in the aim of reducing the risk of fire in your premises, wherever we possibly can.
If you would like to learn more about our service, please visit our Fire Risk Assessment page, or contact one of our team today for some friendly and helpful guidance at 0800 955 3580 or sales@safeis.co.uk.
