Blairgowrie & Rattray Hub Magazine Summer 2023

What are the fire safety rules and why is fire
safety importance in the workplace.
As a business owner, you are responsible
for taking the appropriate steps to prevent
fires and guarantee your workplace meets
all required health and safety standards. Fire
safety is of the highest importance in any
building, to ensure safety of your employees
and the protection of your building. Fire
protection systems and procedures are a legal
requirement and need to be put in place in
buildings to make employees aware in the
event of a fire.
Fire Safety: The Law & Your
Responsibilities
Buildings must comply with The Fire (Scotland)
Act 2005 and The Fire Safety Regulations
(Scotland) 2006, which applies to general fire
safety across Scotland. Business premises are
required to provide a minimum fire safety
standard, the owner/responsible person must
carry out a fire risk assessment and keep
it up to date, this will identify, manage and
reduce the risk of fire, to also put in place a fire
prevention and emergency evacuation plans.
If the responsible person does not have this
skill set, then it is recommended a professional
company is brought in to help carry out this
work and write up these documents.
Fire extinguishers and Fire
safety signage
Fire extinguishers play a crucial role in
protecting buildings, by fighting fires in their
early stages. Located in easily accessible spots,
fire extinguishers can be used by anyone to
eliminate fires, using chemicals such as, water,
powder, foam, Co2 and wet chemical. Fire
extinguishers must be installed, commission
and serviced annually, to BS5306-3 code of
practice, by a trained engineer. Fire safety signs
THE IMPORTANCE OF FIRE SAFETY
provide clear guidance to mark the location
of equipment, fire alarm activation points,
warning signs and fire exits. Through imagery
and text, employees are aware of where they
can find the correct equipment in case of an
emergency.
Fire Safety Training and
Awareness
It is detrimental to the safety of the staff and
business if your employees aren’t educated
on potential fire hazards and safety protocols.
A lack of knowledge is dangerous and can
lead to casualties. The more people know,
the less likely a fire will occur. All staff should
be trained on both the fire prevention and
emergency evacuation plans or have access to
these documents for review. It is also essential
that they understand following these plans
and procedures are imperative to the safety of
themselves and their co-workers. There should
also be a minimum of one employee who is in
the premises who is Fire Marshall Trained and
has the responsibility of this important role.
Fire Alarm Detection Systems
A fire alarm detection system is designed to
sense smoke, extreme heat or fire and provide
a high frequency alert to personnel throughout
a building. The detection systems can be
activated automatically or manually, via call
points on the wall. It is vital these systems are
installed and operate effectively, to protect life
from the danger of a fire. It’s crucial that fire
detection and suppression systems are always
completely functional, including ensuring the
appropriate equipment is properly installed,
tested and maintained for safe use in the event
of a fire.
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36 BRDT MAGAZINE - SUMMER 2023