Fire Risk Assessments: An Integral Part Of Safety

Fire risk assessments are integral parts of workplace safety and must be followed in accordance with the law. They are designed to protect all people in any work place, business, commercial, retail, and industry are all examples. By following just a few key steps in this process, the chance of fire will be greatly reduced, staff will be greater educated and the severity of a situation in which there is a fire will be greatly reduced. Take not of a few key steps, apply them to your work place and this will make everybody safer.

Identify the hazards:
The first thing which needs to be done for fire risk assessments is all potential hazards must be identified. This will include all of the obvious things which could pose a fire threat, such as machinery, chemicals, materials and placement of materials and chemicals. The most obvious should be identified and made aware of, never assume these can be overlooked simply because they are the most obvious elements. The smallest hazards also need to be indention to ensure no hazard is over looked. For instance, if flammable cleaning chemicals are used in the workplace, identify them and where they are stored - are they stored in an area exposed excessive heat? Or close to other combustible materials?

Who's the most at risk?
There are some people in any workplace who are going to be more at risk for fire for various and sometimes very simple reasons. The place of the person's work is an example, are they close to a machine which runs a greater fire risk? Do they work closer flammable chemicals then other employees? Are these people visitors or contract workers who might not know riskier materials and areas or escape plans? Figure out who in the work population is at the most risk and make note of it as part of fire risk assessments.

Evaluate all of the risks and their potential:
This is when all of the information you have collected can be analysed and acted upon. This will include mapping out fire escape plans; having fire drills; placing certain chemicals or combustible materials in a different location to minimise fire threat, further education or notification to people who are greatest risks, issue policies to minimise risk, such as smoking policies on work property.

Write it all down:
This is the step of recording all of the information, plans, analysing, practical steps, policies and more. All steps which have been created and identified in order to minimise a fire risk and the steps to ensure all are safe in the event of a fire must be recorded. This can be written text and include pictures such as photos or drawings. Perhaps chemicals are materials are to be stored a certain way, take a picture of the best way and include it in the material. This is reference and training material.

By examining all fire risk assessments and acting upon the findings, the threat of fire is minimalised.