Protecting your business from workplace fires starts with you. As a business owner or manager, the onus is on you to understand the fire risks your company faces. If you do not know where to start with this mammoth task, guided fire safety resources will help you come up with a fire preparedness plan. The best way to come up with a plan that works is to include tools, equipment, fire detection systems, and pre-and post-fire strategies. As we all know, prevention is better than cure. So, to start on your journey, you must learn how to stop fires from breaking out at your office or factory. Below are ten ways to help prevent fires in your workplace: 1. Hazardous Waste Hazardous waste must be properly stored and disposed of to prevent fires. Examples of hazardous waste materials can include oils and chemicals – and these must be disposed of in a metal container with a lid. All industries are different, and the fire requirements will vary from one to the next, so there are no universal laws for fire safety that can be applied across the board. Always keep hazardous waste separate from non-hazardous waste like paper or food. Use designated bins and containers and label them clearly. Be sure to empty these containers frequently and always avoid overfilling them. 2. Equipment Fire protection equipment such as extinguishers, hoses, and control panels must be easily accessible for every employee. All fire equipment must always be clean and dust or debris-free. Fire extinguishers are essential and must be positioned on escape routes and near all identified higher-risk areas. For kitchen and canteen areas, be sure to include fire blankets in your arsenal of fire equipment. Fire alarms and sirens provide early warning of potential fires, giving everyone enough time to escape before the fire spreads too far. 3. Frequent Maintenance All workplace fire protection equipment must be maintained and serviced regularly, keeping it up to code. Maintenance schedules must apply to all workplace equipment and machinery and not just fire protection equipment. Properly maintained machinery can prevent fire-related risks such as overheating and sparking. 4. Housekeeping Offices and storerooms must be kept clean and tidy. Where there is clutter, there are fire hazards. Paper, overflowing rubbish bins, and empty boxes are all flammable materials and will allow a fire to spread faster. Untidy offices can also result in blocked exits and tripping hazards in the event of an emergency. Keep your workplace clean and free from clutter. 5. Fire Shutters For some businesses, deciding to install a fire shutter can make all the difference in containing a fire and getting enough time to evacuate people from a building in an emergency. Fire shutters are a type of roller door that provides compartmentalisation to stop fires from spreading. Shutters can provide an extra 30 minutes to evacuate the building or factory, and that time is often the difference between life and severe injuries or even death. A fire shutter addition can save lives. 6. Safety Demonstrations Fire safety demonstrations are critical for teaching your employees the importance of fire safety. Demonstrations teach people how to respond or react to a fire, how to use an extinguisher and other necessary fire safety tips. The most crucial thing for employees to do if they spot a fire is to prevent it from spreading, but they first should be able to identify the risks involved before attempting to extinguish it. 7. Assign Roles If your organisation has not already assigned fire safety roles to ideal candidates in the workplace, that must be made a top priority. Your business should find someone to serve as a fire warden. The number of fire wardens a business needs will depend on how big the workplace is and the likelihood of a fire starting. The appointed fire wardens must have a clear understanding of what could cause a workplace fire, such as poor pallet racking, and conduct regular walkthroughs to assess fire hazards – among other tasks. 8. Smoking Areas Legally, a company does not have to provide a designated smoking area. If your organization chooses to do so anyway, the boundaries of such an area must be defined clearly. Designated smoking areas are often sheltered from the elements and as much as they may not seem like much, they must comply with planning guidelines and building regulations. Ensure all fire safety protocols are followed in the smoking area and provide ashtrays for safe cigarette disposal. 9. Evacuation Plans Emergency and evacuation plans are an absolute must-have. Every employee must know what to do in the event of a fire, who to call for help, and what to do next. It is easy for people to get scared and panic, but you must train your staff to remain calm and follow the fire protocols and processes. Fire prevention strategies are essential to stop fires from spreading, leading to untold amounts of damage and potentially injuring people. 10. Identify Risks There are safety regulations and laws put in place to prevent fires in the workplace. Both the NFPA and OSHA offer guidance for helping organizations plan their fire safety and protection strategies. Businesses must follow these guidelines and ensure that they comply with all fire standards and laws. Businesses need to train their employees to identify the most common causes of fires in the workplace. Some of these risks include cooking appliances, electrical equipment, and space heaters. To End By ensuring that your business has training, supplies, and equipment addressing workplace fires and hazards, you will have already taken the first step in protecting your employees and your buildings. These ten tips above will help to prevent a fire from breaking out or spreading in your workplace. No one knows precisely when a fire will spark, but having a plan ready for when it does can mean everything at the end of the day. Following these tips above will help to create a safer work environment for everyone in the building.

Complete Technology Group is the latest company to be awarded Champion status by Building a Safer Future, positioning them as a leader in the industry as they actively commit to a journey of continuous improvement in building safety leadership and culture. The firm, that works with landlords responsible for multi-dwelling units to help deliver digital infrastructure, successfully completed the two Champion assessment modules and in return has received detailed insight and external validation regarding their existing building safety processes, as well as a wealth of actionable data and practical tools to assist them in making improvements. Steve Elliott, Non-Executive Chair of Building a Safer Future, commented: “Complete Technology Group deserves many congratulations for achieving BSF Champion status. Their successful completion of the assessment is commendable, and we strongly urge other organisations working in the built environment industry to take inspiration from their example and register for the process.” Chris McLain, CEO of Complete Technology Group, commented: “CTG is not only committed to meeting industry standards but exceeding them and we’re delighted to continue our building safety journey with BSF Champion status. The process requires us to open ourselves up to scrutiny, uncovering any blind spots in our approach to building safety. So, to successfully complete the second stage – and become the only telecoms firm to do so – is testimony to our people and our culture. We’re improving safety and quality of fibre installations in blocks of flats through our robust audit and adherence to Golden Thread principles.  We’ve followed an incredibly detailed and independent review across our entities to achieve BSF Champion status, giving landlords, residents and telcos confidence in our governance and the quality of what we do.” Building a Safer Future (BSF) is a non-profit organisation committed to raising standards in building safety and supporting required culture change in the built environment industry. Companies can apply to participate in the BSF Champions programme by visiting the Building a Safer Future website on www.buildingasaferfuture.org.uk and completing the application form**, or alternatively they can email alexander.caller@buildingasaferfuture.org.uk Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals *Organisations that have achieved Building a Safer Future Champion status include:

Turtle Defib Cabinets – an innovative manufacturer of defibrillator and bleed control cabinets, bleed control kits and supplier of medical equipment – is recommending people who work in the construction industry to learn the location of their nearest defibrillator and bleed control kit this World Day for Safety and Health at Work (28 April 2024). Action needs to be taken in less than five minutes in the event of a serious bleed injury or cardiac arrest. Therefore, being confident of where equipment can be found is a sensible ‘just in case’ strategy that can mean the difference between life and death. Somewhat shockingly, there is still no legislation in the UK for businesses to install Automatic External Defibrillators (AED) in their premises. Nevertheless, Turtle also urges any person finding a lack of lifesaving medical equipment nearby office to question their health and safety departments and petition for a higher level of team care. There is also an opportunity for businesses to contribute to Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Targets while keeping their employees safe; installing an external locked cabinet is an important resource for the local community.   Photo caption: Representatives from GMI Construction, The Daniel Baird Foundation and Birmingham Council outside a construction project in Birmingham where GMI Construction installed a publicly accessible bleed control cabinet For every minute that passes without defibrillation, the chance of survival decreases by seven to 10 per cent, with survival being unlikely after ten minutes. There are more than 30,000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests in the UK each year according to the British Heart Foundation and the survival rate is less than 1 in 10. Considering the incidence of cardiac arrests and the critical time scale in which a person requires defibrillation to survive, Turtle maintains that Automatic External Defibrillators (AED) should be available in all places where ambulance response could exceed five minutes. The time taken to retrieve the equipment must also be factored in, meaning many construction sites should ensure multiple defibs are accessible. A person suffering a catastrophic injury can bleed out and die in as little as three minutes. 135 workers were killed in work-related accidents in 2022/23¹ and there were 60,645 employee non-fatal injuries reported by employers in 2022/23 (RIDDOR)²; of which 32 per cent were slips trips and falls, 11 per cent involved a person being struck by a moving object and both falls from height and acts of violence were recorded at 8 per cent. The risk of a person suffering a bleed injury in one of these scenarios is high so health and safety departments should ensure they have Ambulance Service designed and approved bleed control kits in premises and on-site vehicles – accessible within a minute or two at the most. Furthermore, the Office for National Statistics revealed in January 2024³ that knife crime has surged by 5 per cent in the past year so projects located in hot spot town and city centres have an opportunity to safeguard their staff and the public by possessing a bleed control kit. And – as with any publicly accessible and registered defibrillator – a 999 operator will direct a caller to the nearest public bleed control kit if required, meaning an externally installed bleed control cabinet is beneficial for the whole community 24-7. GMI Construction has implemented this strategy in city centres. Mike Dowson, Founder and MD or Turtle Defib Cabinets, said: “We never think the worst will happen, but the figures are sobering; 30,000 people experience cardiac arrest each year, 60,645 employees were injured at work last year and there were 48,716 knife-enabled crime offences in the year to September 2023. Then you look at the action and survival statistics and it’s clear that defibs and bleed control kits must be within reach in just a couple of minutes – the chance of survival after cardiac arrest decreases by seven to 10 per cent every minute without defibrillation and a person can bleed out in as little as three minutes.” “This World Day for Safety and Health at Work, I’d like to urge everyone on site or in an office to know exactly where to find their nearest defib and bleed control kit. If the lifesaving medical equipment can’t be accessed and brought back to their location quickly, I suggest they speak to their health and safety department; with a commitment from businesses to own the equipment and from employees to know the location, then I’m certain more lives can be saved.” People should always call 999 in the case of a medical emergency and the Ambulance Service will direct the caller to a defib cabinet or bleed control cabinet if there is one nearby. Turtle works closely with The Daniel Baird Foundation and £5 from every bleed control kit and £10 from every cabinet is donated to the non-profit. For more information about Turtle’s defib cabinets, bleed control cabinets and the equipment to place inside, please visit www.turtledefibcabinets.co.uk, or follow on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals