Ensuring your staff have all the safety information they need is a vital way that you can prevent fires in your workplace. Fire safety training is therefore a key requirement outlined in the RRO, an official government safety standard for non-domestic buildings.
However, many of those responsible for arranging the training are unaware of how often it should be carried out. To guide you, our experts have rounded up the most frequently asked questions around this topic.
Fire safety training should be carried out with your staff every 12 months. In some circumstances, you should provide additional training. Factors that may prompt this include:
By consistently providing annual training, you can effectively refresh the knowledge of your team on fire safety. That way, you can be assured that they will act appropriately in the event of a fire breaking out at work.
As the responsible person within your organisation, you are required to log all training sessions and acquire a completion certificate for each. This will prove that you are fulfilling your training responsibilities, as advised under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order.
In addition to a general fire awareness course, more specific fire safety training courses can be provided by BusinessWatch. These courses can boost knowledge in particular areas relating to your fire safety strategy. Specialist training available includes fire warden training, fire extinguisher training and fire door inspection training.
In the event that your business moves to new premises, you will need to:
In general, your day-to-day workforce should be trained once every 12 months on fire safety. However, it’s important to consider staff turnover, when assessing training needs. Here are four factors that may influence a review of training requirements:
Information about your fire safety policy, including your evacuation plan, should be communicated to new staff members during their induction programme. They should also be included in the annual training refresher course.
As a general rule of thumb, you should ensure that you have one fully trained fire warden in place for every 20 people that you employ.
It is particularly important that night staff receive fire training, especially if they work in the hospitality industry. This is because there is a higher risk to life, should a fire break out whilst occupants are sleeping.
As a absolute minimum, those working night shifts should receive fire safety training once a year. However, it’s essential that you assess the safety knowledge of each individual and provide more training if required.
You should also make sure that all new members of staff working who are overnight are well versed in your fire evacuation plan and general fire safety strategy.
BusinessWatch are a one-stop shop for your fire safety and security requirements. As well as providing essential fire safety and security equipment to hundreds of UK businesses, we are also an IFE recognised provider of fire risk assessments and fire safety training.
Contact our friendly and knowledgeable team today for complimentary advice on your fire safety strategy. We can also provide a free quote, for your training requirements.
