subject: Small Businesses And The Need For Fire Risk Assessments [print this page] It is sad to know that there are many small businesses that have not really understood the importance of fire risk assessments. Small businesses usually have lesser number of employees and small offices. This makes them feel that fire risk management is not needed. In big organizations, strict rules and regulations govern fire safety, and therefore they are more prepared for any fire emergencies.
It is, in fact, small businesses that really need to be more aware of the fire safety assessments procedure, and abide by these generic rules. Generally, small businesses take only few precautions that would be good for the short term purposes only. However, in the long run such interim arrangements will do no good whatsoever. If you are a business owner, you need to be aware of the various fire safety precautions that need to be taken. Some small businesses would have a small fire extinguisher, and they would feel that it is sufficient to give them protection from fire.
Fire Safety For Small Businesses
As an owner of a small business, you will have to make sure that no stone is left unturned. You will have to start by identifying the major hazards. Take a good look at the office environment, and make your own judgments about the safety options first. Then, hire a fire safety consultant to give you the best advice. Selecting the best fire safety consultant is very important. You will have to check for the credentials of the fire safety consultant. It is very important to hire a reputed fire safety consultant for your fire safety assessments.
The key services that are offered by fire safety consultants are fire risk assessment, training on the fire fighting equipment, fire detection systems, and emergency lighting. Being owner of a small business, you will have to check out the services that are needed by you. You need to ensure that the fire safety consultant is offering service that is really required by you. Basically, a fire safety consultant will have fire safety officers, who specialize in identifying and minimizing risks. The fire safety officer would have to come to your office premises and check for the various fire arrangements that you have. If you currently have a firefighting unit in place, you may want the fire safety office to check it and give his or her report on the effectiveness of that firefighting equipment.
For example, if you have a fire extinguisher that is not functional, you will get to know it when the fire safety officer inspects it. The services of the fire safety consultants need to be very prompt. Usually, it is seen that these services operate round-the-clock.
The fire safety consultants will give you a preliminary report, which will state the current situation of your office and the things that needs to be improved or installed. The cost of installation of fire safety equipments is quite expensive these days. By taking the help of the fire safety consultant, you can surely get the right firefighting equipment and save lots of money. You need to have a proper fire safety plan in place, and it is very important to follow that plan. Being an owner of a small business, you now really understand the importance of fire risk assessments.
by: Rosanna Heath
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