Stopping Fires before They Begin: Fire Safety Tips

Fire safety should be everyone’s responsibility, especially with the troubling fact that there were 192,600 fires around the U.K. from 2012 to 2013. The Fire Safety Order states that everyone who owns or occupies a non-domestic property should, among other things, conduct their own inspections for potential fire hazards, inform their colleagues of any such hazards identified within the premises, and participate in emergency planning. For common or shared areas, however, the responsibility falls entirely upon landlords.

While the Fire Safety Order encourages everyone to seize the initiative, this doesn’t mean they no longer have to work with authorised fire safety services. After all, even the simple task of identifying potential fire hazards is a lot harder than it sounds, as seemingly everything can be considered as such. The London Fire Brigade, for instance, advises citizens to be wary of naked flames (i.e. cigarettes and matches), hot surfaces (i.e. engines and halogen lamps), hot works (i.e. welding), friction (i.e. drive belts), and sparks (i.e. static electricity) as potential sources of ignition.

With better information regarding these fire hazards, as well as professional risk assessments, it is hoped that fewer conflagrations will have occurred come the next Fire Door Safety Week.