The Top 10 Fire Safety Checklist Items For Business Owners – Albion Detection Systems
Helping to safeguard your premises from fire is all about managing risk, and much of this comes down to ensuring the correct provisions and preparations are in place.
This can be a tricky thing to get right, but in addition to conducting a thorough fire risk assessment, using a fire safety checklist such as the one below helps remove some of the guesswork from your fire safety plan.
Why Is A Fire Safety Checklist So Important?
Maintaining your fire safety procedure takes work but well-organised fire safety plans lead to fewer risks in the first instance and better fire protection overall.
Should the worst occur, having the correct plans in place helps you limit damage to the building, which in turn will help to significantly reduce danger to staff and disruption to the business.
When compiling your own fire safety checklist, ensure you can answer ‘yes’ to as many of the questions below as possible.
Equipment & Facilities
- Have you installed appropriate fire-fighting equipment throughout the workplace?
- Do employees have the right training in how to use fire-fighting equipment?
- Do you perform regular checks on fire equipment to ensure everything remains operational?
- Do all staff know the correct fire drill and procedures in the event a fire should occur on-site?
- Are fire doors left unobstructed and closed at all times?
- Is emergency lighting installed and powered via a generator, should the mains power fail?
Alarms And Detection
- Have you installed fire detection and alarms equipment?
- Is this equipment tested on a regular basis to ensure its continued efficiency?
- Do staff understand the correct way to respond to fire detection and alarms equipment?
- Is the fire alarm system monitored by trained staff or security?
- Have you performed a fire risk assessment?
Prevention Of Fire: Tidiness And Cleanliness
- Do staff keep their personal workplaces clean and tidy?
- Is there a clear cleanliness/tidiness directive in place?
- Is burning of rubbish strictly prohibited throughout the premises?
- Is waste stored in a safe and secure location whilst awaiting collection?
- Is the workplace maintained to high levels of cleanliness and tidiness, whether through external cleaning services or an internal directive?
Prevention Of Fire: Storage
- Do you keep storage areas separate from the rest of the building?
- Are storage areas kept clean and tidy?
- Is access to storage restricted to permitted members of staff?
- Are storage areas inspected each day for potential fire hazards?
- Is shelving and other temporary storage kept far away from sources of heat and light?
- Does all flammable liquid and materials have the appropriate level of ventilation?
- Does the company keep all combustible substances stored in designated areas and in appropriate quantities to mitigate unnecessary fire risk?
Prevention Of Fire: Heating & Lighting
- Does the company place restrictions on usage of portable heaters?
- Is care taken to prevent leaving materials on or close to heaters?
- Are there measures in place to prevent knocking heaters over and guarding them from additional fire risks?
- Are lighting provisions predominantly integral – and usage of lighting sources such as candles banned?
Prevention Of Fire: Flammables
- Does the company store all flammable liquids in specially designated areas?
- Is this area well-maintained and kept free of clutter?
- Are any empty flammable cylinders kept separate from those in use and marked as empty to avoid confusion?
- Do you ring-fence flammable gas cylinders 2 metres away from buildings?
- Are these flammable liquids stored away from all possible sources of ignition/flame?
- Does the company use spark-reducing tools where applicable, such as in the case of flammable vapours?
- Is usage of flammables kept to a minimum throughout the company?
Prevention Of Fire: Smoking Policy
- Is smoking prohibited throughout the building(s)?
- Are metal ashtrays provided in designated outdoor smoking areas?
- Do you use ‘No Smoking’ signs to help strengthen understanding of your no-smoking policy, and clearly designate any assigned areas for smokers?
- Does your company strictly enforce the smoking policy?
Prevention Of Fire: Building Maintenance
- Are all doors and windows securely fastened at the end of each working day?
- Is the building’s point of entry fastened against intruders?
- Are fire-resistant doors (if applicable) kept closed when not in use in accordance with fire door regulations?
- Does your company maintain the grounds so as to limit combustible materials and vegetation?
- Is the building regularly inspected for signs of damage or vandalism?
In Event Of Fire: Damage Limitation
- Has your business organised contingency plans to reduce interruption should a fire occur?
- Are there duplicates of necessary paperwork and business records stored safely in another building/digitally?
- Are exit and entry points always cleared for escape?
- Has everyone been told what to do in a fire drill as per your fire protection responsibilities?
- Is there a warning system in place for alerting staff to fire and escape procedures?
- Are all fire prevention measures regularly tested and maintained to ensure they function as they should?
In Event Of Fire: Escape Procedure & Personnel Safety
- Are escape routes clearly designated in a way which will be understandable for all members of staff?
- Are exit doors openable from the interior during working hours?
- Do staff know the correct assembly point in the event of a fire drill procedure?
- Do staff understand what to do should the fire alarm sound?
- Have staff received the appropriate fire safety training during their first days of employment?
- Have you appointed a trained fire warden(s)?
By making sure your business answers affirmatively to most of these questions, you can better equip yourself to prevent fire and deal with problems should they occur.
Whilst the specifics of your own fire safety checklist will be largely dependent upon the nuances of your own location and staff needs, having a fire drill template and fire drill procedure, as well as clear fire safety regulations in place, will help to keep staff and your business premises as safe and secure as possible.
Download Your Fire Safety Checklist?
Here at Albion, we are passionate about ensuring you have the best possible guidance, therefore we want to make sure you’re fully informed about all of your fire protection options, responsibilities and options as a business owner by downloading our brand new fire protection checklist guide.
