Testing fire alarm systems regularly is a necessity, but are you doing it correctly? According to official British fire safety regulations, your fire alarm should be tested weekly. On top of this, a full fire alarm system inspection should be carried out once every six months.

Below, we’ll look at how often you should be testing the alarms in your building, who’s responsible, and how to test them.

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Britain’s biggest sports chain Sports Direct is investigating an incident after a customer twitted a picture of their blocked fire exits at their flagship store in the bullring, Birmingham. 

In the picture you can clearly see that the boxes are stacked higher than the push bars, on the emergency exits. A display of ski goggles can also be seen propped up next to the door even though on the fire door it clearly states “keep clear”. The fire escape route was completely inaccessible, making it a hazard to anyone who was working or shopping in the store. 

A customer, who was horrified at the complete disregard of fire safety regulations, took a photo and posted it on social media, tagging the fire service, sports direct and the shopping centre.  

If you are working in retail, an office, or a factory it is everyone’s responsibility to help with the prevention of fires, and keeping your fellow colleagues and customers safe. If you notice a problem within your workplace it is your responsibility to report it so the hazard can be rectified. 

Below are some reminders of fire prevention best practices. 

• Practice good housekeeping.  If you have boxes or clutter around your work place, this can lead to fuelling the fire, and preventing people from using the escape route, or emergency equipment.
   
• Dispose of flammable items correctly. Place flammable materials in a covered non-flammable box by doing so you are preventing adding more fuel to the fire.
   
• Do not leave naked flames unattended. If you are using naked flames such as blowtorches, make sure you have completely extinguished the flame before leaving the equipment unattended. 
   
• Perform regular maintenance checks of machinery to prevent overheating and friction sparks.
   
• Report any electrical hazards. Electrical faults are one of the main causes of fires in the workplace. Equipment needs to be fully maintained to ensure that it is not malfunctioning. Do not attempt to fix faulty wiring if you are not qualified to do so. 
   
• Store all chemicals safely.  Make sure you are not storing dangerous chemicals in places where they might explode, or mix with other dangerous chemicals. Make sure you are keeping them out of direct sunlight, and in a well-ventilated room. 
   
• Use all precautions to prevent ignition in any potentially dangerous environments. Prevent exposing naked flames, creating sparks, and use non sparking tools. 
   
• Make sure you and your staff only smoke in designated areas. 
   
• Never block fire exists, or emergency equipment.  Ensure your employees are observing the emergency exits, and taking into account the emergency exit routes when stacking and storing goods.
   
• Teach your staff how to use fire extinguishers correctly. 

A workplace fire is devastating and many companies that experience a fire, never rebuild. In addition to potential injury and loss of life it can lead to job losses and closure to a business that has taken years to establish. It is everybody’s responsibility to work in a safe manner and prevent fire hazards. 

As an employer it is your responsibility to ensure that your employees are appropriately trained, and are knowledgeable as to what actions to take, and where to go in the event of the fire. It is also your responsibility to clearly label the emergency routes and ensure that none of the fire exits are blocked. 

Like you, we take fire safety extremely seriously here at Label Source, and stock a comprehensive range of products designed to improve fire safety and to protect you and your employees in the unfortunate event of a fire. So if your workplace is missing any fire safety signs, head over to our Emergency Access & Fire Safety Signs department. 

We are proud to be able to offer a truly comprehensive range of fire safety signs, however, if you cannot find the exact sign you are looking for don’t hesitate to contact out customer service team by telephoning 0800 3761 693 or emailing info@labelsource.co.uk and a member of our customer service team will be more than happy to assist you.