5 Benefits of Fire Safety Training

Just placing a fire extinguisher at your workplace will not ensure the safety of all workers in the event of a fire. Fire safety goes far beyond having fire extinguishers on site. The company should possess a well-planned evacuation plan so that workers know how to react in the event of a fire.

Fire Safety Training

It is the employer’s responsibility and duty to provide crucial fire safety information to their workers. It could enable the fire to be put out quickly and efficiently, and avoid major accidents, extensive damage to company property not to mention injury and possible death. Let’s talk about a few advantages of fire safety basic training at a workplace.

Develops confidence in firefighting

Fire safety education gives workers, with the knowledge, confidence to react optimistically and effectively during the event of a fire accident.

The training makes the workers aware of how fires occur and how to prevent fires from occurring. Helping them to introduce measures to reduce the risk.

Fire safety training teaches the employee procedures to protect themselves and their coworkers during an emergency.

Creates a safe place to work

A research published that if the employees’ feel unsafe in their working environment it will lead to lower levels of productivity.

Safe Place to Work

It is due to unsettling potential hazards that they face.

By increasing or making them prepared for an emergency may help to increase employee productivity levels.

Saves your money, employee and the property

Save money

Effective fire safety training for employees makes them act more effectively in safeguarding the other employees and the property. This safeguards your employees and your company properties from severe damage and may save money.

Increase the responsibility

By designating your employees as Fire Marshall and giving them responsibility, you indirectly make everyone in charge of their own personal space.

Responsibility

These staff will be aware of potential dangers and know how to overcome obstacles in an emergency.

This gives them a feeling of responsibility for their workplace and treats their workplace with far more respect than before.

Keeps the employee in control

Fire safety training will make employees behave rationally in an emergency. During a fire or fire drill, it is important that employees remain calm and in control, a chaotic condition may increase the risk of the situation worsening.

Training offered by leading industry in UK - http://www.veteranfiresafety.co.uk/training/fire-safety-training

Why fire risk assessments important for workplaces?

A fire risk safety assessment is a very important as it makes your workplace a safe environment for your employees. It also creates awareness for making the right decisions during the onset of a fire at your location. 

A fire assessment is now a legal requirement for all business premises in the UK.

Why conduct fire risk assessments at a workplace?

• First, it provides you and your employees the guarantee of having a safe business place to work
• Well maintained and checked fire safety equipment will help prevent you from major damage to your property and protect the people in the case of a fire
• By conducting fire risk assessments, you can get to understand the possible risk factors in the workplace and be able to implement the right procedures to control and reduce the risks

Can a business owner conduct the fire risk assessment?

Yes, the assessment can be carried out by the person responsible for businesses who employee five or more people. The fire risk assessment involves the below five tests.

Spotting the fire risks

Fire will start up if the following three things are present 1.) source of ignition 2.) Fuel 3.) Oxygen. An assessor should look out for are places where these come together. Keeping the stationary supplies, empty boxes, fabrics, plastics, including foam cushions and any potentially flammable materials such as gas canisters in a safe place may avoid fire accidents.

Spot the people who are at risk

During a fire alarm immediately help the people who are working alone or are disabled and who may find difficulty in evacuating. Equally, consider the visitors or the guests at your office who are not familiar with your workplace, help them get out calmly and quickly.

Evacuation plan

This is the important process of the fire assessment. A proper and an effective evacuation procedure should be planned with clear action to be taken. The relevant people (Fire wardens and responsible people) should know their role in the event of a fire.

Record your observation

Record all the findings during the assessment. Design and prepare an emergency plan for fast recovery of the people at risk. 

Review

All the recordings should be updated at regular intervals. The fire risk assessment must be carried out regularly with dates when records and reviews were re-evaluated and updated. This will help to cover you and stay in line with the law.

Veteran Fire Safety Ltd at your service

We provide an expert fire risk assessment service. Please call us or visit http://www.veteranfiresafety.co.uk/services/fire-risk-assessment for further details.

Fire Safety Tips for Schools

The sooner we begin coaching our children about fire safety and prevention the better. If they are educated in fire safety they've got a higher chance of survival in an emergency scenario. Keeping students safe when they're at school or college is an important task.

Each school must take the time to develop a radical plan for fire safety and train both school/college students and the body of workers on what to do during a fire incident.

Though the number of school fires has decreased over recent years there still remains a risk of school fires happening. There are many causes including arson, electrical faults and accidents.

Taking measures to reduce the likely outbreak of a fire is very important. Below are a few steps that can be taken by the schools and colleges to safeguard the students and staff and properties from an unexpected fire incident

School exterior preparation

• Make the school premises a non-smoking zone. Improperly discarded cigarette can cause fire
• Trees and shrubs are trimmed to keep areas around the building unobstructed
• Make sure you keep an exterior lighting with timers, motion- or daylight-detection sensors
• Try to prevent unauthorised entry into the buildings because it may increase the opportunity for an offender to start a fire

Keep safety equipment ready and working

• Fire safety devices have a significant impact in reducing the loss of life and property during a fire incident
• Fire sprinkler systems act quickly in reducing heat, flames and smoke produced in a fire
• All schools should have their fire safety equipment maintained annually
• Regular checks are mandatory as in some schools fire safety equipment is moved or misused

Fire Safety Tips for School

Maintaining combustible items and a proper disposal of trash

• Schools need to maintain safe rooms to store combustible items
• Schools attract large amounts of paper, cardboard etc. It is best practice to keep fuel sources and ignition/heat sources apart from this room or space
• Trash receptacles should be stored away from buildings to reduce the danger of fire
• Laboratory wastes should be disposed of properly
• Keep flammable gasses and chemicals away from heat

Fire safety drills

Fire Drill

• Schools must conduct a minimum number of fire drills every year
• The aim of this drills is to make sure that the school building can be completely and quickly evacuated in an orderly manner
• Schools should conduct expected and unexpected monthly fire drills in which everyone participates, students, staff and visitors
• Make sure the students are aware of how to respond to a fire alarm
• By practice, you can help to eliminate panic during a real fire
• A plan for evacuation should be predesigned with the help of professionals where necessary
• School staff must receive training on the procedures prior to any drills
• The fire safety procedures should be revisited and updated on a regular basis

How Often Should you do Fire Warden Training?

Fire wardens are appointed for offices, schools, care homes, healthcare premises and other public places. They are the people who are responsible for ensuring that all the fire safety procedures are followed and are responsible for the protection of staff, clients and visitors in the case of a fire.

Role of a fire warden

Fire Warden Role

• The fire warden is responsible for making sure the right evacuation procedures are followed
• Checking the building for any customers or workers who ignore the alarm and subsequently reporting to the fireplace marshal
• Ability to use fire fighting equipment
• Shutting down vital and dangerous equipment
• Liaising with the fire rescue team on arrival
• By the time the fire brigade arrives they are responsible for understanding that everybody is accounted for and is at a safe distance from the fire

How many fire wardens are required?

• The number of Fire Wardens required depends upon the structure and complexity of the workplaces
• For large organisations and businesses, multiple fire wardens are required, different wardens assigned to specific departments and smaller areas of responsibility because one fire warden can’t deal with alone
• It is advisable to train an extra warden to cover sickness and other absences

What is Fire warden training?

Fire Warden Training (Source - Magie Plus Plus)

• A fire warden takes on responsibility in the event of a fire
• Fire warden training is necessary for the warden to understand the role
• They first learn about “awareness of human behaviour in fires”
• The training teaches about fires and the safety measures to be taken immediately in the event of a fire, how fire spreads as well as the mechanism and usage of fire extinguishers
• Regular fire alarm checks and fire practice may also be the duties of Fire warden

How often Fire warden training should happen?

The frequency of training for fire wardens depend upon the level of risk at the premises, number of people in the premises and the nature of the business.

The fire warden training is normally held between 1-3 years and should be recorded in company fire safety procedures.

What will Veteran fire safety services provide you?

We provide an extensive experience of delivering a range of fire consulting services and fire risk assessments across a variety of sectors and buildings. 

We train fire wardens and provide professional training. Call us on 01530 588 189 to talk with our expert or visit our website http://www.veteranfiresafety.co.uk/training/fire-safety-training/fire-warden-training for more details.

Fire Risk Assessment for Offices

Fire risk assessment

In the United Kingdom, organisations must act with strict rules of fire safety and assessing the risk of fire on an ongoing basis. In England and Wales, every company or building proprietor is accountable for the fire safety risk assessment of that organisation or building.

What is RRO?

The Regulatory Reform Order (RRO) 2005 came into effect and successfully launched new fire safety guidelines. This new code, that is typically known as the RRO, applies to all non-domestic buildings and premises in England and Wales, and additionally covers all areas of common use.

Fire Risk Assessment (source - elec spec)

Who is subjected?

For example, if you're self-employed and use a building consisting of your property for your commercial enterprise, it applies to you and your house. Also, all charity agencies also are listed. Below are the listed places which are required to undergo fire assessment as per RRO guidelines

• Offices and shops 
• Sleeping accommodation
• Residential care premises 
• Educational premises
• Factories and warehouses 
• Theatres, cinemas and similar premises
• Open air events and venues 
• Healthcare premises
• Animal Premises and Stables 

Companies that do not comply with those recommendations can be subject to fines or prosecution.

Importance of fire risk assessment

Fire Safety Risk Assessment

If you have ever been a fire victim, you will come to know how essential it is to make your home or place of work safe and protected from fire. A common cause of fire incident is a simple lack of knowledge on spotting the danger signs.

To keep your circle of relatives and co-workers secure from fire you need to concentrate specific things,

• You must identify the possibilities of fire dangers
• Evaluate the people at risk
• Analyse and remove or minimise fire hazards
• Review these risks from time to time 
• Streamline the fire evacuation procedure

Need a professional fire risk assessment? Call us

“Veteran Fire Safety LTD” risk assessments follow the preferred technique as encouraged in the guidelines of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order. We have a team of incredibly skilled and certified assessors who consequently provide a cost-effective, professional service that will meet your current legislative requirements.

Our template will assist you to record fire risks, assess the risk and evaluate measures to reduce the likelihood of a fire.

Give us a call on - 01530 588 189 or visit our website http://www.veteranfiresafety.co.uk/services/fire-risk-assessment for further details.

Live fire training ideas

“Becoming fearless isn’t the point. That’s impossible. It’s learning how to control your fear, & how to be free from it, that’s the point. Necessity of action just takes away the fear of act, and makes bold resolution the favorite of fortune”. - Francis Quarles

As the above quotes, the firefighters must keep on updating their firefighting skill and can control their fear in any emergency. Live fire basic training helps the firefighters to think clearly and critically and be able to solve problems under stress.

How a live fire training conducted?

Generally, live fire training is carried out in burn homes or buildings, which are structured, constructed or obtained to be deliberately burned for the education of firefighters. Let's discuss a few points on how a standard live fire education, consultation goes, in line with the NFPA (National Fire Protection Association).

Live Fire Training (source - apcd foundation)

• The instructor gives a briefing of the day's activities, and the trainees dress in their high-tech, multi-layered specialist clothing

• The fire safety clothes can withstand temperatures up to 1,200 degrees Fahrenheit. In addition, each student wears an SCBA (self-contained breathing apparatus), tacking on an extra 30 pounds

• Next, the trainees are instructed to enter the burn building. One trainer goes before the students, and one trail behind. The fire safety trainees organise themselves on the same side of the hose and distance themselves an arm's length from each other

• The crew gets down into a crawling position as they enter the burn region, making sure to maintain the hose line between themselves and the flames. As the trainees approach the area they will attack, they take their positions on the line, one operating the nozzle, the others supporting it

• The instructor signals and the students open the nozzle to attack the flames; the team aims the nozzle far away from their bodies to avoid steam burns on exposed skin

Live Fire Training Buildings (source - parma fire department)

• Now the students rotate. The nozzle operator moves to the back of the line and everyone else moves forward. The crew repeats this manner till anybody has a go at working the nozzle. When they extinguish the fire, the crew quickly leaves the structure safely, leaving only the nozzle operator and backup team members behind

• Two of them stay to ensure the fire doesn't re-ignite. Once it is completely extinguished, the team works together to retract the hose

• Now the trainees are checked for any injuries and they are provided with feedback

We provide dynamic fire safety trainers who will train you completely in fire safety techniques with a live demo. Give us a call on - 01530588189 or visit our website http://www.veteranfiresafety.co.uk/training/live-fire-training for further details.

Which Fire Extinguisher to use and how to choose?

When choosing a fire extinguisher the first thing to do is to identify the types of materials in the area where the fire extinguisher is going to be placed. Then there are several different types of fire extinguisher to choose from, such as:

• Class A – used for solids such as plastic, paper, wood, etc.
• Class B – used for flammable liquids such as petrol, paraffin, oil, etc.
• Class C – flammable gases such as methane, propane, butane, etc.
• Class D – metals such as titanium, aluminum, magnesium, etc.
• Class E – electrical apparatus
• Class F – cooking oil and fat etc.

Choose Fire Extinguisher

Foam

It is very effective on flammable liquids, woods, spirits, and petrol but this is not for use in the kitchen or electrical fires, making it a handy device to keep in a garage.

Wet Chemical 

It is safe to use in cooking fat fires, and soft furnishings, yet hazardous once brought into contact with flammable or electrical liquids and gases.

Water 

This type of extinguisher is good for putting out the flames on soft furnishings and carpets, but dangerous when used on cooking fats or flammable liquids. Have this in the living room and bedroom, if you are a smoker, but not useful for the kitchen. 

Dry powder

It is used on a range of fires in the home. It is safe to use on wood, electrical fires, textiles, and flammable liquids or gases. Ensure that this is not usable in kitchen fires involves cooking oils and fats. Good advice is for living areas and garages but still needs a separate device for the kitchen.

Use an Extinguisher 

Fire Extinguisher (source - nearsay)

Experts from fire safety advises people to learn how to use an extinguisher before an emergency occurs. Place the extinguishers where you can see and reach them easily, near to the room’s exit. In this way, you are able to fight the fire with your back to the door and make an easy escape if a blaze gets out of control.

A short way to remember how to use an extinguisher is by using the acronym – “PASS”

P - Pull the Extinguisher’s Safety Pin”. 

A – Aim the chemical at source of the flames, rather than at flames themselves, by standing at-least 6 feet away from fire 

S – Squeeze the trigger and hold it, keeping the extinguisher upright

S – Sweep the source of the flames until the fire extinguisher runs dry

If you have used fire extinguishers, even if it is not completely empty, you must replace it or refill it straight away Also replace or replenish any extinguisher, whose pressure gauge has slipped out of the green zone and into the red over time. Keep this in mind extinguishers with plastic valves cannot be refilled and you must discard after use. But metal valves can easily be refilled and will last you for a long time.

When it comes to safety you, your family and staff or employees are the top most priority. We are selling BAFE approved products and it is essential to select per requirement. It’s very important to keep extinguishers maintained and properly serviced as it is an essential part of the protection system.

More information on our maintenance service -   http://www.veteranfiresafety.co.uk/services/fire-extinguisher-maintenance

First Aid Training for Parents

You are a parent or a grandparent, are you taking care of children or infants or toddlers, learning first aid safety training courses give you and your family a confidence to save lives.

Importance of safety measures

Prevention is the first step of protection. Parents are responsible for protecting their family. There are numerous threats to think about whilst making safety plans and adjustments to the house. For example, dangerous chemicals or other medications should be kept inaccessible to the children.

Fire accidents may happen in a fraction of a second and for various reasons, hence keeping matches and lighters away from the children’s reach is very important. Sometimes you can’t predict the reason for a fire accident hence the parents must create fire escape plans and at the same time ensure that everyone in the family knows how to escape from the fire.

Preparing and pasting the emergency phone numbers on the wall or tables so that your children know whom to contact in case of emergency.

Role of the parents

• It is natural that parents are concerned about the safety of their children but sometimes they do not know how to safeguard or how to give first aid for an injured child
• It is essential that all parents must be aware of basic first aid steps to be taken in the case of an accident
• Infants can burn easily, even from bathtub water that is too warm
• Babies, infants, and children are generally more easily injured by burns and scalding
• To prevent burns, care should be taken to ensure that temperatures are tolerable for sensitive babies

Common causes of fire accident

• Internal or domestic fire are very dangerous to children. The smoke from a fire can kill a child quickly
• Never leave cigars or pipes unattended especially near children
• Never smoke in bed, never smoke when you are drowsy as it may lead to a fire accident
• Don’t run any electrical wires under rugs
• Carefully use electrical blankets
• Don’t allow children to use any electrical appliances on their own if they want to try any make sure it is done under your supervision
• Carefully cover any outlets that are not in use with safety covers so that it is not accessible by children

Veteran Fire Safety your safety partner

Careful parents will learn toddler and baby CPR instructions. First aid training may even provide parents with the know-how of what to do for different types of injuries which include burns from the overly warm water.

First Aid Training for Parents

Veteran provides a complete paediatric first aid training and first aid for baby and child course by a registered trainer. The trainers will help you to understand the safety measures and actions to be taken at the onset of any fire accident and they provide a detailed first aid steps that must be given for various types of injuries.

Visit our website -  http://www.veteranfiresafety.co.uk/training/first-aid-training or give us a call on 01530 588 189 to book an appointment or for further safety training course details.

Fire Safety for the Elderly

Focus on fire accidents focus on safety measures

• Whether the reason is an electrical malfunction or an act of nature, a home can go up in the fire in a matter of minutes. Due to lack of mobility and other ailments elderly people have an increased risk of death in a fire accident

• The risks of fire accidents are very dangerous and everyone should be educated about the diverse factors of fire safety awareness training especially children, and the elderly, since they represent almost 34% of the population

• Older people are statistically proven to be the most prone sufferers of a fire accident. At age sixty-five and above people are two times as likely to be killed or injured in a fire compared to other age groups

Importance of a small instrument that do a big safety!!!

• Surprisingly, in the winter months that we are more prone to fire dangers. The chance of a family surviving after a fire accident is literally doubled by fixing of a small smoke alarm

• Smoke is a mixture of particles and gasoline made a fire. Smoke alarms can provide you with a warning of this lethal mixture earlier than you may see smoke or smell it.

• Special smoke alarms are available for the deaf and hard of hearing.

• Fire prevention tools for the old people are readily available and can be operated easily.

A few safety precautions

If elderly people are living independently or in a care facility, there are a few basic precaution that they educated about it.

Fire Safety for the Elderly

While cooking

• Wear close fitting sleeves or an apron to avoid clothes catching on fire.

• Don’t leave food unattended on the stove try to keep an eye on it.

• Always keep the toaster and stove clean because sometimes the grease or crumbs that settle may build up and cause a fire.

Safe smoking

• If you are a smoker try not to smoke in bed or while lying on a couch.

• Always have the safety of an ashtray nearby the bed and clean it properly once used.

• Never smoke near an oxygen tank.

Other basic checks

• Always unplug the heaters or other electrical appliances when not in use or before going to bed.

• Don’t hang clothes too near the heater to dry them.

• Place a smoke alarm in all rooms possible but not in the kitchen.

• Plan your escape from a fire

• If a fire occurs do not panic and believe that you will get out of the fire.

• Always spot the fire exit from your apartment or find out two ways out of a room.

• Note the emergency numbers to call for help near your bed.

• As soon as you see a fire, try to move out of the fire area and get as low to the ground so that you will not be as affected by the deadly smoke.

For more valuable information -  http://www.veteranfiresafety.co.uk/training/fire-safety-training

Fire Risk Assessment and Asbestos Survey

Health and safety checks are vitally important to protect people and keep them safe in the workplace and in the home. In shared buildings, office blocks and flats there is a need for regular fire safety checks as well as checks for asbestos. Sometimes the question arises as to who is responsible and who pays for the undertaking of these vital safety checks.

Fire safety assessment

The Regulatory Reform Order 2005 requires fire risk safety assessments to be carried out in flats, or a premise that contains common parts of two or more houses. The duty is on the responsible person who is managing the common parts. It includes freeholders, resident management companies, right to manage companies and others. 

The main purpose of an assessment is to protect people in the event of a fire, improve the existing fire safety measures and determine if, additional measures are required. The assessment is limited to common parts, and it does not extend to leaseholder’s own premises.

Fire risk assessment and asbestos survey

The legislation states, these assessments must be reviewed periodically by the responsible person and kept up to update. The frequency of risk assessment may depend upon the building concerned. For example, a small house with a small communal hallway may not need to have an assessment as frequently as large flats. 

Fire safety orders can be expensive and often costs involved in compliance such as the inspection cost itself, fire extinguishers, replacement of communal doors, etc. can be passed on to leaseholders by the freeholder or the responsible person depending on the terms of the lease. Modern leases include an obligation of freeholders to comply with statutory requirements with a right to recover the cost of this from leaseholders.

Asbestos checking 

There is a legal duty on the person responsible for managing the maintenance and repair of common areas in buildings and flats to manage asbestos. The major requirement is in the Asbestos control regulations 2012 and applies to common areas such as the staircase, foyers, corridors, lifts, etc.

Asbestos checking and removal

The duty of a person is to ascertain whether the premises have asbestos, where it is and what condition it is in, to assess the risk and prepare a plan to manage the risk and act on it. According to the HSE website buildings prior to 2000 may have asbestos, as it was extensively used as a building material between the year 1950's and 1980's.

Recovery of the cost of the survey and essential work resulting from this is based on similar principles as set out above for fire safety. The lease may allow for a recovery charge or the freeholder to bring the cost within the sweeping up clause.

Conclusion

It is beneficial to leaseholders have a check while flats are on sale, the purchase solicitors may ask for confirmation that a risk assessment was carried out for fire safety and asbestos as a matter of course and ask for evidence. It may cause an issue with a sale if this is not available.

For more information - http://www.veteranfiresafety.co.uk/services/fire-risk-assessment

Fire Warden Roles, Responsibilities and Training Courses

Veteran Fire Safety Ltd offers accredited fire warden and marshal training courses to organisations, industry and commerce. These courses can be in-house or held at venues throughout the United Kingdom. We also create bespoke safety courses tailored to the company’s specific requirements that can be delivered at the premises. The courses approved by the IFSM – Institute of fire safety managers. 

Fire warden requirements

The importance of fire safety cannot be accentuated enough. Generally, the people might think that fire seems rare nowadays, but 80% of British businesses who experience a fire never ever recover.

Fire warden role, responsibilities and duties 

It is their duty to physically implement fire safety measures such as escape routes, fire extinguishers, alarm systems, etc. The role ensures that the fire safety arrangements are properly in place and involves the safe evacuation of everyone on the premises in the case of a fire.

Specific roles 

• Understand the roles and responsibilities of a fire warden
• Be able to identify protected escape routes
• Understand the term "means of escape"
• Be able to complete and maintain accurate records
• Know the procedures for people with disabilities and special needs
• Be aware of company policies and emergency fire plans
• Be conversant with reporting procedures on all fire safety matters
• Understand how to assist in the safe evacuation of a building
• Be able to take a roll call and liaise with management
• Be able to select and operate portable fire-fighting equipment safely
• Developing and updating emergency fire evacuation plans

(Image Source: ihasco.co.uk)
Fire Warden Training Courses

This course is designed to give in-depth training to the relevant employees. The training usually covers the designated fire marshal role and gives the opportunity to learn about the different types of fire extinguisher provided how to use them correctly when needed. This training helps you to prepare for any emergency occurring on the premises. We offer individual training for circumstances for disabled staff or young or elder people or in a specific environment such as a construction site.

Training covers

• Importance of fire safety
• Understanding the combustion process
• Basics of fire legislation
• Effecting a safe evacuation
• Identifying suitable protection and prevention measures
• Firefighting equipment

Who should attend?

Fire wardens, deputies and safety representatives or any person holding the responsibilities of a fire warden should attend this course. 

How many fire wardens for your organisation?

It depends mainly on the size of the premises, the number of staff and so on. Looking at the above duties one person will be enough, to deal with a small office space. However, in a multi room, or multi floored building with more staff it is clearly too big a responsibility for one person. We can advise you more accurately on how many staff need training per the size and layout of the premises. If a trained person is on leave or sick, training of a deputy warden would always make sense.

If you have any questions or need advice just visit the course details or contact us direct -

http://www.veteranfiresafety.co.uk/training/fire-safety-training/fire-warden-training