Effective fire safety awareness guide from Bull Products

The compliance team at Bull Products has written a guide for fire safety awareness, covering those all-important points to talk about in workplaces.

The common causes of a fire

Many construction sites have examples that contain the three elements required to start a blaze: sources of ignition, oxygen, and fuel.

Fires in these environments can cause damage to materials, delay projects and put workers’ lives at risk.

Although many construction companies now use flame retardant materials, there are still particular scaffold or roof coverings which are hazardous and can cause greater damage.

With this in mind, it is vital the common causes of a fire, along with the dangers highlighted in your site risk assessment, are clearly relayed to workers.

Good housekeeping

Good housekeeping is vital to fire prevention, so your fire safety awareness should encompass the key hazards workers need to be aware of.

This includes ensuring heating and electrical equipment are kept clean, using and storing chemicals safely and getting rid of clutter which contributes to fires such as paper, aerosols and flammable liquids.

The use of fire protection equipment and prevention

The correct use of fire protection equipment can mean the difference between life and death.

Fire alarms, extinguishers, blankets and signage are all crucial products to have on site and it is important that workers have training on how to use the equipment and know what to use to reduce the risk on site.

Choosing and using a fire extinguisher

A recent survey from Bull Products showed over 38% of workers are using the wrong fire extinguisher on an electrical fire, while 10% would use a foam extinguisher to put out an electrical fire.

A fire extinguisher is an important piece of equipment to have on site but using the wrong fire extinguisher can not only maximise the spread of a fire but can cause major damage to a site and equipment, which in turn can cost companies millions to repair the damage.

Emergency evacuation plan in the event of a fire

Fire and smoke spread quickly and can leave people trapped in dangerous, inescapable locations if an evacuation plan is not in place.

A fire evacuation strategy guarantees employees and fire wardens are aware of actions that they need to take if they discover a fire.

According to HSE (Health and Safety Executive), quick and effective action may help ease the situation and reduce the consequences. However, in emergencies, people are more likely to respond reliably if they:

• are well trained and competent
• take part in regular and realistic practice
• have clearly agreed, recorded and rehearsed plans, actions and responsibilities.