This month we are talking about Fire Safety. What causes fires in the workplace? How can these be prevented and the safety courses that we here at Training 4 Logistics offer.
A fire in the workplace can be disastrous for the business.
Lost productivity, monetary loss, injuries and sometimes fatalities can occur in the event of a workplace fire. Some businesses may never recover from the effects of a fire within the workplace.
What are the common causes of Workplace Fires?
Here is our guide to some of the most common causes of fires in the workplace.
Inadequate Electrical Equipment
Inadequate electrical equipment can present consequential danger to your staff and business.
Loose wiring, faulty or old equipment, and overloaded sockets are just some examples of dangers that can occur.
All electrical equipment should be maintained to a high standard and regularly evaluated to ensure it works correctly and that it is not a safety hazard.
Smoking
Smoking in the workplace has been banned since 2007.
A dedicated smoking area for your employees should be placed at least several meters away from your building.
An improperly disposed cigarette can easily set light to flammable materials that are nearby, like dry leaves, papers, and other flammable items, therefore it is vital as an employer you should provide your staff with a safe place to discard their smoking materials.
Flammable & Combustible Materials
Premises that hold flammable materials like paper, wood or cardboard need to make sure they are dealt with accordingly.
Allowing these materials to be properly disposed of or stored away correctly, will help to prevent a fire start or to spread.
Negligence & Human Error
Negligence & Human Error are other major causes of fire in the workplace.
Including correct use of machinery, not following health and safety guidelines, flammable liquids been spilt and the overuse of equipment.
Making sure your staff are fully aware of the Health & Safety protocols can reduce the risk of incidents within the workplace.
Regular refresher courses should also be provided to your staff to remind them of the risks and how to alleviate them.
Cooking Equipment
The kitchen is one of the main place’s fires can start, burning food, leaving cooking equipment unsupervised and using combustible materials all can present risks, making it important that your staff know the correct procedures are implemented and followed.
Faulty Fire Alarms
A faulty fire alarm may not be the cause of a fire, but they can be why a fire spreads and goes unnoticed longer. Making sure your alarms and detection devices are all working correctly will ensure that fires are detected quickly and can be dealt with correctly before such fire can become uncontrollable and therefore cause much more damage all round.
Untidy & Dirty Workplace
Workplaces that are unkempt and cluttered are very susceptible to fires.
Overflowing waste receptacles, and poorly ventilated areas, can all enable a fire to spread.
Also not cleaning equipment or allowing dust to settle on certain areas, and covering or blocking machinery can cause the machines to overheat which can lead to a fire starting.
Training 4 Logistics offer courses in Fire Safety at Level 1 and Level 2
Upon completion, the learner will understand:
Causes of fires
Basic fire duties and responsibilities
Safety equipment checks.
The cost of workplace fires for employers and employees
Principles of fire risk control
Upon completion, the learner will understand:
The hazards and risks associated with fire in the workplace.
How fire risks are controlled in the workplace
The principles and practice of fire safety management at work
The role of the nominated fire warden
