Do you have the correct fire extinguishers in your workplace?

The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, also known as the ‘RRO 2005’ is the legislation in the UK which all premises used for non-domestic purposes come under for fire safety. The last 20 years has seen a reduction in the number of commercial fires, with the RRO 2005 being largely responsible.

The RRO 2005 is a proactive risk management approach, which replaced over 100 pieces of out-dated legislation. Now, the onus falls on the ‘responsible person’ to ensure that fire risk assessments are carried out, that there is proactive prevention and that within a business there is strengthened compliance and training amongst staff.

 

What does this mean for your business?

Every business should have a designated “responsible person”. This is often the business owner, but could also be the employer, or an individual who has control of the building, such as a landlord or manager.

 

What are the responsibilities?

As part of the RRO 2005, the responsible person is legally required to ensure that a fire risk assessment is carried out by a competent person. This competent person will have had the necessary fire safety training to be able to accurately identify the fire hazards, the people who are at risk and identify how to eliminate or mitigate the hazards.

Once the fire assessment has been carried out the responsible person is then required  to act upon the assessment and ensure that the measures to eliminate or mitigate the risks are implemented effectively.

As part of the mitigation of fire risks, every non-domestic premises are required to have fire extinguishers. As there are a variety of extinguishers available let’s take a look at what is required both in type and number for your business.

 

Types of fire extinguisher

Class A fire extinguishers. These are the type of extinguisher used to put out wood or paper fires, or “carbonaceous” fires. These extinguishers can be foam or water based and come in various sizes.

Every business in the UK is required to have two Class A extinguishers on each floor of the premises. In certain circumstances, it would be assessed that two extinguishers would be more of a hazard to escape, in which case only one is required. An example would be in a kiosk-sized premises.

CO2 extinguishers. These are required if your business is at risk from electrical fires. All premises which contain electrical equipment must have a minimum of 2kg CO2 extinguishers on site. If there is 415 volt rated equipment then a 5kg CO2 extinguisher is required. In nearly all premises you will find Class A and CO2 extinguishers, often paired together, usually by a fire exit or fire alarm call point.

Less common types of fire extinguisher may be required, depending on your business and the premises in question. These include wet chemical extinguishers, which would be used in kitchens with deep fat fryers, and dry powder extinguishers where there is a gas risk such as in boiler rooms. These more specialist extinguishers should be located within easy reach of the specific risk.

UK British Standards (BS5306) states that you should be no more than 30 metres from the appropriate extinguisher on any given level of your premises. This 30 metre rule will help determine the location of any extinguishers should you have multiple fire exits or call points.

 

Training requirements

Correct training must be given to the responsible person who will be designated as a fire warden or marshal in your business. They have the responsibility for using a fire extinguisher should the scenario arise. However, it is prudent to ensure fire training for other staff. In an emergency, anyone should be able to correctly use a fire extinguisher.

We can provide eLearning for Fire Extinguisher Training, which is designed to show how to safely use each type of fire extinguisher in a simple 10-minute session.

 

Here to help

Here at The Health & Safety Dept we are equipped to ensure you are legally compliant when it comes to Fire Safety and the RRO 2005. Our expert staff can act as the competent person for your business, to ensure fire risk assessments are carried out properly, and we can set out exactly how to eliminate or mitigate the risks in your premises.

Our easy to access eLearning means we’ve got your fire extinguisher training covered for all staff, and more specialist training for fire marshal and wardens in a variety of industries, such as construction, education and care. No matter what your requirements, we are one click away from helping you ensure the best health and safety for your business, Get started today by clicking here.