Fire risks

You can improve your company’s fire safety daily by keeping an eye on the state of electrical equipment, smoking and hot work, while also keeping the work place clean and tidy, training your personnel in the use of fire extinguishers, and through arson prevention. It is vital that all of your employees are aware of the fire hazards in their working environment and follow fire-safe procedures in their daily work.

What everyone should know about fire prevention?

Structural fire prevention is based on fire-safe structures and compartmentation. Separating elements must always be kept in working order and checked on a regular basis.

Automatic fire extinguishing systems, such as sprinklers, gaseous fire suppression equipment and fire alarms reduce the impact of a fire or imminent fire.

Please make sure that your company’s fire extinguishing systems and equipment are regularly checked and tested. Fire extinguishers kept in indoor and isothermal areas should be checked every two years. Extinguishers subject to vibration, humidity, frost or temperature variation should be checked once a year.  The extinguisher should be serviced always after use and when otherwise necessary.

Automatic sprinkler and water mist equipment should be checked every two years, gaseous fire suppression equipment every four years, and fire alarms every three or five years or at general intervals set by the fire and rescue authorities. The equipment should also be tested monthly.

When is a company obliged to make a fire emergency evacuation plan?

Your company should make a fire emergency evacuation plan for the building or other facility if there are a minimum of 10 employees. The purpose of a fire emergency evacuation plan is to provide your staff with instructions on how to prevent hazards, prepare for securing personnel, property and the environment in hazardous situations, and prepare for evacuation procedures that the employees can carry out on their own. The plan must be kept up-to-date as circumstances change, and all parties must be informed of the plan.

Fire safety inspections

Property owners are responsible for the fire safety and fire safety inspections of the property. Inspections can be performed by the fire and rescue authorities or insurance companies. Companies can also run their own internal fire safety inspections in accordance with the existing fire emergency evacuation plan.