We strongly encourage anyone spotting any breach of practice to either engage with the premises manager or to notify the local fire brigade. Here are some examples and the cost to rectify the issues which have been sent in to Firescout.
" " In emergencies, evacuees will promptly make their way to the nearest fire exit. If this is blocked or inaccessible it will cause confusion and possibly cause an acident in itself. The last thing you want is people trying to find an alternative exit or having to bring people back in to the building to help the injured, so keep the area clear at all times.
" " A fire survey will let you know where your extinguishers should be positioned and what type they should be. You should have them mounted or on a base, with the correct signage. It must be obvious as to where the extinguisher should permanently reside so it's easy to maintain and to find in case of emergency.
" " Exposed electrical cables are both a trip hazard and a fire hazard, tempting spillages and damage to the wires. Also, when the foam of a chair is exposed, there's a chance that the fire proofing will have no effect, making it more dangerous in the event of a fire.
" " Firedoors help stop the spread of fire through a building. Having gaps between doors or between a door and the frame will increase the amount of oxygen, and ultimately flames, that can pass through to the next area of the building. Seals can help to prevent this, and will stop both the fire and smoke and can usually be fitted with minimal fuss.
" " Fire exits should be clear and accessible at all times. In the event of an emergency, such as a fire breaking out, there's a good chance people will want to quickly evacuate the area. Blocking fire exits with anything is bad enough, but by putting extinguishers there they are not properly wall mounted or placed on a holder, meaning they are not in the location that trained staff or fire officers would expect them to be if they had to use them.
" " It's inevitable that sometimes a firedoor will need to be held open, especially when work is being carried out in the area. But it's your responsibility that everyone complies with fire safety regulations in your building, even contract workers. Screwdrivers might not be as bad as moving fire extinguishers to hold a door open, but there must be a retainer with a release mechanism in place. Screwdrivers will also make it very hard to close the door quickly if they get stuck, allowing a fire to spread quickly.
" " It's vital that fire extinguishers are hung on their hooks or placed in their stands correctly so that in the event of a fire breaking out they can be located and used quickly. It will also reduce the chances of the extinguishers being tampered with or accidentally damaged.
" " It's usually a fire extinguisher that's used to incorrectly hold open firedoors, but in this case it was a large rock. But regardless, firedoors should only ever be held open by a device that has a proper release mechanism, such as the Dorgard retainer.
" " There is a good reason to commission fire extinguishers. For those that do not know, the silver object under the squeeze handle is a J hook to hang the new extinguisher on, with it still being in the way, even if you remove the safety pin you can not operate the squeeze handle.
" " Firedoors must be kept closed at all times, unless you have a proper fire door retainer that will close the door for you when an alarm sound. Not only are you creating a hazard with the fire door, allowing fire to spread quickly through a building, but you are also moving an extinguisher from its proper position.