Fire Safety Consultants – Knowing what to do if there is a fire could not only save lives, but keep a business owner from losing time and money. There are laws put in place to ensure everyone involved is safe and protected. The Fire Safety Order of 2006 was established to keep the business owner accountable, making businesses accept complete responsibility for the detection and prevention of a fire.
A Fire Safety Consultant can assist a business owner in satisfying his or her responsibility.
A business owner may not have the knowledge of what is needed, nor the time to fulfill the requirements in the order. A consultant is specifically trained to comply with the Fire Safety Order. A person whether s/he is an employer or not, can receive training and certification from a globally recognized company. Click here for the Best-Selling Fire Safety Products.
This can give peace of mind to a business owner, employees, and guests reassuring them the establishment they come to everyday is safe.
There are many things which have to be performed by the consultant in order to meet the strict guidelines of the Fire Safety Order. If the building is not an existing one, the fire safety process starts with construction. On the job site, anything that could ignite with fuel going to it has to be identified.
Additionally the following items should all be pin-pointed: escape routes, sprinkler systems, smoke alarms, fire extinguishers, location of exit signs, and dry risers (empty pipe(s) where water can flow through). It is important to identify all health and safety hazards, like faulty wiring for example, prior to the beginning of construction; to mitigate any problems occurring during construction.
The findings are written as an action plan, so the business owner will know how to proceed in order to prevent a fire, or what steps to take if there is one. For an existing structure, the consultant would access the interior and exterior of the building. He or she would look around to determine things like: Is an ordinary door located where a fire-resistant one should be? Or does the building need heat detectors rather than smoke detectors, or both?
The person would have the training to see if there are such things as: open flames, smoking, and proper ventilation around the building. The consultant has the expertise to do critical thinking, asking questions which may never cross the mind of the business owner:
If any hazards are found, how can they be removed? If the hazards cannot be removed or repaired, what can be done to replace them with nonhazardous material? Should the structure be reorganized to comply with the Fire Safety Order? Are there enough detection and warning/exit signs around the premises? Can the escape routes accommodate a handicapped individual?
The answers to these questions are crucial to make sure everyone in the building is safe from a fire starting, and safe after a fire has begun. These proactive steps will save a business owner a lot of time and money in the long run.
Once a survey of the inside and outside of the property is done, the Fire Safety Consultant would make sure the staff is trained properly on what to do. This may involve having regular fire drills, as necessary. The Fire Safety guidelines would be visible throughout the building for all to see. A write-up of the risk assessment helps the business owner to adhere to rules set forth by the state and/or local jurisdiction where the business is located.
A Fire Safety Consultant should be utilized regularly. If not regularly at least whenever a significant change occurs within the workplace, for instance: fire safety equipment is damaged, a staff member with a disability is hired, or large equipment is brought in.
The use of a consultant gives the business owner, employees and patrons peace of mind, that their health and safety is being taken care of in a serious and professional manner. The consultant can complete paperwork the business owner may not be familiar with, filing it with the proper authorities.
This may also allow a business to open and/or continue to operate. It is in the best interest of a business owner to retain a Fire Safety Consultant. If a fire does happen, it can affect homes and/or businesses around it by spreading, causing a major financial impact to the business owner. With the proper staff training and consistent oversight provided by a Fire Safety Consultant, workplace fires could be stopped altogether. Click here for the Best-Selling Fire Safety Products.