Everything You Need to Know About Fire Safety Risk Assessment
As a business owner, you should ensure the safety of your property, staff, and clientele. One way to ensure safety in a business premises is by conducting a fire safety risk assessment. The assessment is a comprehensive process that involves many things and parties. The following is everything you need to know about fire safety risk assessment.
What Is a Fire Safety Risk Assessment?
Fire safety risk assessment is a comprehensive review conducted in a building to evaluate its fire risks and provide recommendations for making the building safer against fire threats. The assessment is usually in writing for easy communication and reference. However, buildings with five or fewer people don’t have to have the assessment in writing.
The fire safety risk assessment should cover the following:
- Availability of firefighting equipment
- Fire safety training for staff
- Fire detection systems
- Fire warning systems
- Emergency fire evacuation plan and routes
- Availability of information for staff and clientele in the building
- Storage systems for flammable and dangerous materials
- History of past fire issues
How Often Should You Review Your Fire Safety Risk Assessment?
How often should I review my safety risk assessment? This is a question you may be asking. There is no specific law explaining how often you should review your fire safety risk assessment. The recommended period for conducting fire safety risk assessments is every 12 months.
Moreover, the law stipulates that the review should be assessed regularly to ensure it’s updated. The person responsible for reviewing fire safety should do so if:
- It’s 12 months after the last assessment
- There have been many changes since the previous assessment
- There is reason to think the safety risk assessment document is not valid
- The building’s structure has changed
- The building’s occupants and staff have changed
Who Is Responsible for Conducting Fire Safety Risk Assessment?
There is often a debate concerning who is responsible for carrying out a fire risk assessment in a building. The person responsible for the assessment could be the owner of the building, a managing agent, a real estate managing company, or a Right to Manage (RTM) company. The responsible party may conduct the assessment or authorize other qualified people to do it.
What Is the Risk of Failure to Conduct a Fire Safety Risk Assessment?
Failure to conduct a fire safety risk assessment can result in fires because the evaluation is important in identifying potential fire causes and how to prevent them. Failure to conduct an assessment could also result in legal prosecution that could lead to imprisonment or fines.
Conduct Fire Safety Risk Assessment
Reviewing your building’s fire safety risk assessment effectively protects your business against potential fire outbreaks and provides recommendations to deal with fire. Are you late on your fire safety risk assessment? Call us to schedule an assessment and protect your business against fire.
Categorised in: Fire Safety Consultants
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