Workplace Fire Safety Cost-Cutting Puts Employees Lives at Risk

From MOE

Workplace Fire Safety Cost-Cutting Puts Employees Lives at Risk

UK employers are potentially putting their employees’ lives at risk by cutting back on fire safety in the current economic climate according to a survey recently conducted by the Fire Industry Association (FIA).
Almost a fifth of bosses admitted to revising fire safety procedures in the current economic climate, such as delaying maintenance checks of fire safety equipment, reducing staff training or delaying updating their fire risk assessments. This is despite the fact that 20% of them also admitted to already having had a fire in their premises.

16% admitted to NOT having an up to date fire risk assessment and a quarter don’t even know who does their fire risk assessment. More shockingly, 8% of employers confessed that procuring services at the lowest price was most important to them when it came to fire safety.

This comes despite the fact that a third of staff don’t know what to do in the event of a fire. Over half of staff surveyed don’t know how to use a fire extinguisher or fire alarm. A quarter of workers don’t know where their nearest fire exit is and a third don’t know where their fire assembly point is.

The poorest performing industries from a fire safety point of view are the arts & culture and travel & transport sectors. In Arts & Culture over a quarter don’t have fire drills, fire safety training or person responsible for fire safety and 39% of employees in this industry don’t think their company has ANY fire safety precautions.

Of those in the Travel & Transport sector 40% don’t have regular fire drills and over a third don’t have an up to date fire risk assessment. But more concerning is the fact that 30% of employees in the building & architectural industry doesn’t think their company has ANY fire safety precautions despite 53% of those surveyed having already had a fire in their workplace.

The survey results has prompted the FIA to warn employers of the perils of ignoring fire safety and to inform employees about what they can do to demand better fire safety in their workplace.

Graham Ellicott, CEO of the Fire Industry Association, says, ‘The figures are very worrying; 82% of employees would like more training on fire safety and 14% don’t believe their company has ANY fire protection. We would like to remind all businesses across the country to review their fire risk assessments, making sure they are up to date, and to continue the maintenance schedule for all their fire safety equipment.

It may seem like a good opportunity to save money but it is actually about saving lives; you have a legal duty with regard to fire safety and could face a large fine or imprisonment if you are found to be putting people’s lives in danger by failing to comply with the law, although 55% of those responsible for fire safety admitted to not fully understanding these penalties. But it doesn’t stop there as 80% of businesses that have a serious fire don’t reopen and thus jobs are lost which impacts directly on the wider community.’

The FIA has just published a complimentary Best Practice Guide to Fire Safety aimed at those responsible for fire safety in their premises. Copies and further information on fire safety in general can be obtained by emailing info@fia.uk.com or ringing 020 3166 5002.