31 March 2021

Post Covid Fire Risk Assessment Checklist

Businesses are legally required to undergo a fire risk assessment regularly, and it’s important that such risk assessments are fully tailored to the specifics of your premises and the needs of your business. As businesses gear up to welcome staff back to work, it’s important that you’re completely sure of your premises’ fire safety, especially if you’ve made any changes to working practices as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. To help you get it right, the team at Fire & Security Group have created this fire risk assessment checklist. 

Identify Fire Hazards

The first stage of a fire risk assessment is to identify any and all hazards that are present within your building. This could be anything from flammable materials to equipment used in certain departments. Other fire risks include blocked escape routes and lack of fire doors. 

Identify People at Risk

Once you’ve identified all the fire hazards in the building, you need to identify the people who are at risk should a fire break out. Certain people will be at greater risk than others – staff who work directly with flammable materials and fuels, for example, or people with disabilities or restricted mobility who may struggle to escape if a fire breaks out. 

Evaluate the Risks and Take Action

Look at the risks you’ve identified and the people exposed to them. How can you ensure these risks are minimised and people’s individual requirements are catered for?

Acting upon your findings can take some time and expense, but it is absolutely essential if you are to keep everyone safe and meet your legal obligations. Whether those actions include buying new equipment, such as fire extinguishers, or changing a process for increased safety – like implementing a one-way system around the building – you should act quickly and comprehensively. 

Record your Actions

Whether you’ve found multiple hazards requiring a significant overhaul of equipment and processes or you’ve found a few minor issues that can be solved easily, you must record what you’ve found and the action you’ve taken to rectify the situation. Spare no detail – these recordings will be important when it comes to reviewing your assessment. 

Train Personnel

All your staff should be trained in what they should do in the event of a fire. Create an emergency action plan for the event of a fire and run through it by carrying out fire drills – you should designate ‘responsible persons’ to lead your staff through these drills, as well as ensuring that all necessary fire safety precautions are in place. For comprehensive fire safety training, contact qualified professionals like Fire & Security Group.

Review the Risk Assessment

You must regularly review your fire risk assessment to ensure that your fire safety protocols are still suitable. You might install new equipment, you might change the configuration of staff and departments, or you may experience staff turnover – all of these things can have an impact on fire hazards. It’s recommended that you review your fire risk assessment at least once every 12 months. 

In the current climate, many businesses are undergoing changes – enforced or otherwise – as a result of coronavirus. These changes can bring about renewed fire safety risks – filling a previously empty room with PPE is adding a new fire hazard, for example. When assessing your property, take any and all coronavirus measures into account, too. 

Fire & Security Group are experts in providing fire safety equipment, fire risk assessments and fire safety training for businesses around the UK. For more information about our services, simply contact us today and we’ll be happy to help.