It could be said that working in an office should mean a lower fire and security risk, after all, we are not working with dangerous chemicals or machinery. One might therefore expect to be able to go about our daily routine and complete our work without risk to our safety. Subsequently, very few office workers will be considering the risk of fire.
As the person responsible for fire safety, ensuring office workers have protection against a fire means the performance of your fire alarm systems and evacuation procedures are of paramount importance. Evacuating a building that is full if people being paid to do work is something you wish to avoid at all costs – particularly if the fire alarm has been activated and there is no fire.
When installing and maintaining a fire alarm system for an office complex one of the key challenges Tecserv encounters is the need to help the responsible individual or the fire officer (or team) prevent false activations, and to have very early indications of the exact location of a fire.
The main challenges are to ensure fire equipment is well located and that staff are aware of how and when to use equipment safely.
A further consideration is the location and type of fire detection sensors to ensure each area has the appropriate sensor. For example, kitchen areas where staff may cook food.
The fire alarm must be capable of providing both audible and visible warning signals and the functionality to distinguish the area(s) affected by fire so that only those in danger are evacuated to safety in a controlled manner.
For you, as the office manager or fire warden and your role as the responsible individual, it is your number one priority to ensure that all fire risks have been assessed and the company complies with fire safety regulations. You simply cannot afford any complacency, but the task of ensuring your colleagues take these risks seriously can be daunting.
We think it is our responsibility to liaise with office managers and fire wardens who take on the role of the responsible individual to help them install and maintain effective fire systems and processes.
A fire alarm sounding is something that nobody wants to hear. Unplanned fire alarm evacuations cause disruption, will seriously affect work scheduling and cost time and money. These delays may cause knock on effects and impact the services you are able to provide to your customers.
At Tecserv we help to ensure regular planned maintenance and staff training takes place and that we help all stakeholders with responsibility for fire safety ensure that their systems and processes are compliant, well maintained and support fire safety policies, procedures and legislation.
We are providing you with two free fire safety guides to help your business stay safe and help the responsible individual comply to fire safety legislation.
This guide provides business owners and responsible individuals with a reference
document regarding their legal responsibilities in respect of fire safety in the workplace.
This guide explains what’s involved in a fire risk assessment and the legal requirements your business needs to meet.
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Please note Tecserv only operate within the United Kingdom – any work outside of this region cannot be considered.
