The UK Government ‘Recovery Strategy’ has now been unveiled. It is time for the ‘Recovery Strategy’ to begin, slowly and cautiously, ensuring peoples safety is at the forefront of any decisions or actions. London Fire Risk Assessments is available to guide you through the new Guidance Documents so you feel both supported and confident.

Wednesday 13th May – the day that England moved into the first stage of recovery. The UK Government have issued 8 new ‘Recovery Strategy’ Guidance Documents to help sectors take ‘baby steps’ towards opening their businesses – slowly and cautiously.

The first step is for the ‘Responsible Person’ or their ‘Representative to go to www.gov.uk/guidance/working-safely-during-coronavirus-covid-19 here you will find the 8 Guidance Documents.

Construction and other outdoor work

Factories, Plants and Warehouses

Labs and Research Facilities

Offices and Contact Centres

Homes

Restaurants offering Takeaway or Delivery

Shops and Branches

Vechicles

Once you have read the relevant Guidance you will then have to think about how to apply these safety measures to your workplace. This is when you may want to talk through your plans with Clive Lewis TIFireE the Managing Director of London Fire Risk Assessments – just so you feel a little more confident moving forward

London Fire Risk Assessments advice is free so pick up the phone if you have a worry and call 0781 8888626 or click here.

All London Commercial Premises and Residential Blocks of Flats should Review & Revise their current Fire Safety Risk Assessment to reflect the implications of Covid -19.

Most Premises have been affected by the Covid-19 virus, premises have been shutdown, or numbers of Staff reduced and/or Staff working from home. It’s the identified ‘Responsible Persons’ responsibility to reflect the imposed changes in their Fire Safety Risk Assessment.

If the premise has been shutdown then you should reflect in your Fire Safety Risk Assessment the procedures you have followed in making the premise safe i.e. ensuring that electrical appliances have been switched off and unplugged. Heating has been turned off and the premise is secure and safe from arson to name but a few.

If your premise is open but you have only a skeleton Staff operating then you need to ensure they are in a safe environment. Do they know what to do if a Fire broke out – are there sufficient Fire Marshals in place? Is the ‘Responsible Person’ checking on them frequently so that they feel supported?

If you have Staff working from Home then the ‘Responsible Person’ needs to ensure that there are procedures in place for safe working and communication lines are kept open with frequent checks on the employees wellbeing.

London Fire Risk Assessments has prepared a Questionnaire designed to help the ‘Responsible Persons’ consider various points within their Fire Safety Risk Assessment that may need to be ‘reviewed and revised’. The Questionnaire is free and is London Fire Risk Assessments way of helping business through these tough times. Contact us on 0781 8888626 or via email [email protected] we are here to help!

Look after your Employees working from home in these unprecedented times!

As an Employer, you have the same Health & Safety responsibilities for your Employees even if they are working from home. Many Employees have been asked to temporarily work from home – here are a few things you must consider:

How will you keep in touch with them?

Can their work activity be done safely?

Do you need to put control measures in place to protect them?

Employees working alone are more at risk as they have no direct supervision or anyone to help them if things go wrong. Keep in regular contact with them to ensure that they are healthy and safe. If contact is poor, Employees may feel isolated or abandoned and this can affect their stress levels and mental health. Put procedures in place so you can keep in direct contact with your Employees – Look after your people and they will look after you!

Contact London Fire Risk Assessments if you feel you need some support – our advice is free and we are only a phone call away 0781 8888626

Unoccupied Buildings – Fire Safety Guidance

Unoccupied buildings continue to generate significant findings and concerns caused mainly by deliberate Fires, theft of fixtures and fittings and malicious damage.

Insurance Companies see an increase in the number of claims when Premises, Buildings are not in use, which they believe could have been prevented if the properties were properly secured and effectively managed.

In order to help persons protect these properties, a leading Insurance Company have developed the following guidance to outline the level of protection they recommend for vacant properties.

“Fire – the most common cause of fire in the United Kingdom is deliberate Fire setting (arson). Unoccupied Premises, Buildings are particularly vulnerable as they are unattended and therefore become a target of thieves and vandals, who often also start Fires for reasons including to destroy evidence of committed crimes.

To reduce the risk of deliberate Fires, it is very important to ensure that all material that could help to start and spread a Fire is removed from both inside and outside of the Premise, Building.

Non occupied sites can also be vulnerable to fly-tipping, therefore it is also important that a regular inspections regime is implemented to ensure that any damage to the Premise, Building or accumulations of waste and rubbish are quickly addressed.

It is typical that once minor damage has been caused to a property or low level fly tipping takes place, this tends to escalate into more damage and larger incidents. Prompt repairs and waste removal are essential to minimise the risk of the property being targeted for further attack.

It should be considered if it is appropriate for Mains electrical services to be disconnected, other than circuits required for Fire alarms or intruder alarm systems.

Contents and fixtures are often left in the buildings, which provide ready fuel for a Fire and it should be decided if these should be removed or minimalised. Additionally any internal doors that are missing or left open should be repaired and closed. Such actions can assist significantly in preventing a Fire from developing quickly and minimise damage in the event of a Fire taking place.”

London Fire Risk Assessments advice is for you to inform your insurance Company of any proposed closure or any other circumstance which could affect any future Claim. Also, even unoccupied Buildings should still be the subject of appropriate Risk Assessments, including an up to date Fire Risk Assessment. If you need help with this call us on 0781 8888626 or email and we will talk you through the best way for you to complete a Fire Risk Assessment.