Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service (LFRS) welcomes the recovery roadmap for the reopening of businesses and fully recognises the importance of this period to the future health, wellbeing and economic success of the county and its residents.
Managing the risk of COVID naturally demands a lot of attention, but there are other hazards that can be detrimental to health and can stop businesses recovering. Fire remains one such danger.
To assist a smooth and safe transition to reopening, LFRS are advising building owners and managers to ask themselves a few simple questions starting with:
‘Is my business safe from the risk of fire?’
Does the fire risk assessment need to be reviewed?
- Do any COVID control measures negatively impact on fire safety?
Are fire safety systems tested, serviced and in good working order?
- Have fire alarms and emergency lighting etc been serviced by a competent engineer?
- Are self-closing fire doors in good working order?
- Can fire exits be opened quickly and easily without a key and are external routes clear?
Are staff trained in fire safety procedures?
- Are your staff aware of the actions to take in the event of fire and has the impact of COVID been considered in your evacuation plan?
Are fire safety records and drills up to date?
- Have fire alarm and emergency lighting tests been undertaken and recorded?
- Have fire drills been carried out and recorded?
Answering these questions will not automatically mean that your business is safe however it’s a great place to start. More comprehensive guidance is available on our business safety pages.
If you are a business owner, you can also find out more about what this means for you by reading this document (opens in a new window).
Further information on business fire safety during the recovery period after COVID is available here.
If you wish to discuss the above or any other area of fire safety, please contact protectionsupport@lancsfirerescue.org.uk