Did you know that there are around 20,000 commercial fires in the UK each year? This is why it is so important that you have fire prevention measures in place. There are legal obligations of building and small business owners when it comes to fire extinguishers in small businesses. We talk about some of these regulations below.
It is required by and covered in the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, also known as the RRO, that all appropriate fire-fighting equipment must be provided anywhere that there is a risk of a fire. This includes fire fighting equipment such as portable fire extinguishers. The RRO covers all non-domestic premises in Wales and England.
The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 that business owners and managers need to select a designated Responsible Person. This Responsible Person is then responsible for carrying out fire safety risk assessments. It is also their responsibility to implement and maintain a fire management plan for the small business premises.
A fire safety risk assessment is crucial for businesses of all sizes, no matter how small. Responsible Persons should ensure that all staff members are trained in regard to fire extinguishers in the small business. This includes the locations of the fire extinguishers within the small business as well as how to use them currently.
Failure to protect staff within your small business premises by not providing appropriate equipment, such as fire extinguishers, could lead to a persecution. It could also lead to refusal of small business insurance pay-outs.
The BS5306 also covers the provision and maintenance of fire extinguishers in small businesses. It sets out clear guidelines as which fire extinguishers should be used within a small business and on which fire.
There are six different categories of fire extinguishers for small businesses. The fire extinguisher that you need for your business is dependent on the materials present in your business and their risk of fire.
If you’re not sure of the right fire extinguisher for your business, call our team of experienced fire extinguisher engineers. They will assess your business needs to recommend the right fire extinguishers for you and your business premises.
Fire regulations state that you must have a minimum of two fire extinguishers on each floor of a small business building. These should be Class A fire extinguishers. These are even the regulations for small business premises. However, if your business premises are classed as very small, then only one Class A fire extinguisher will be required. The number of fire extinguishers required in your small business depends on the size and layout of the business premises. It also depends on the materials and potential fire risks within your business. #
Again, this is something our experienced fire extinguisher engineers can help you with.
