Whether a factory or a warehouse, large or small, your premises will require a fire risk assessment.

Industrial premises often have specialised machinery or equipment, handle or store flammable substances and/or store large quantities of goods, which may be combustible. All of these aspects would need to be covered by your fire risk assessment for the premises.

Factories and Warehouses

Fire Risk Assessment

If you employ five or more people (paid or unpaid), you should keep a written record of your fire risk assessment and any significant findings. It should also be reviewed regularly, especially if any changes to the premises are made. This will identify what you need to do to reduce the risk of a fire occurring and keep you and your employees and visitors safe. It should also take into account any shared common areas and you should liaise with the other occupiers if you only occupier part of a building.

You need to have an emergency plan for dealing with any fire situation, and it should be based on the outcome of your fire risk assessment. The purpose of an emergency plan is to ensure that people know what to do if there is a fire and that the premises can be evacuated safely. An evacuation drill should be carried out on a regular basis to ensure your emergency plan then works.

The guide below contains further relevant information and gives advice about completing a fire risk assessment for all employers, managers, occupiers and owners of premises. More complex premises will need to be assessed by a qualified Fire Risk Assessor. The Fire Risk Assessment Guide for Factories and Warehouses can be viewed here and contains further relevant information.

The pro formas here are intended to be used as guides for carrying out a fire risk assessment. Should you adopt one of these for your business premises, then it is important that the content captures any unique aspects of the premises’ design, as well as how the building is actually used.

If you want more information on fire risk assessments, fire extinguishers and risk information boxes click here.

Arson

It is crucial that those with responsibility for the workplace give due consideration to reducing the potential for arson. It is an unfortunate fact that 80% of premises suffering a serious fire never fully recover. A proactive approach to reducing potential incidents of arson need not be complex. There are a number of simple but effective steps that can be taken, which will reduce the potential for arson considerably. For example, controlling combustible materials and waste in and around the premises, reviewing security precautions and reporting incidents involving small fires or anti social behaviour in the surrounding area to the authorities, will make a significant impact. For more detailed guidance on arson prevention please see:

Other Guidance

For further guidance on your responsibilities as an employer, business owner or landlord, please see:

Case Studies

We want to assist in any way we can. Click on the document below to see how we work with business owners to ensure that they understand how to complete a fire risk assessment and ensure that their premises are as safe as possible.

Further Advice

If you would like further information or advice, please click here or contact us.

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