Within the last year, there were over 133,000 fires attended by Fire and Rescue Services in England, according to the Home Office. While this figure is a decline from previous years, it’s easy to think that a fire wouldn’t start on your business site. However, fires in the workplace are more common than you think. Often started from faulty electrical appliances and general negligence, the majority of these incidents could have been avoided if the right preventative measured were carried out.
By assigning safe, dedicated smoking areas around your workplace, you are significantly preventing the risk of fire in the workplace. Smoking should never be allowed in non-ventilated areas, storage rooms or areas with chemical or flammable materials. Just a spark from a cigarette could result in a fire. Protect your business and employees by promoting dedicated smoking areas with signs, good communication and cigarette only bins.
This step is critical, especially for premises in sectors like leisure or large industrial sites where outdoor space is plentiful but often unsupervised. Clear zoning and signage are essential to ensure compliance and minimise fire risk from discarded materials.
Not only will CCTV cameras aid your business’ security strategy, but they will also help you to quickly identify any risks, sparks or the start of a fire. With good CCTV surveillance, you will be able to prevent a fire from occurring in the first place by identifying hazards, or put the fire out before it gets out of hand. A CCTV system allows you to monitor all areas of your business and acts as your eyes and ears when you’re not there and will help prevent fires in the workplace.
Modern surveillance goes beyond simple recording. Advanced systems now integrate video analytics and thermal detection, which can automatically spot unusual heat signatures or smoke long before a traditional fire alarm is activated. This proactive approach is particularly vital for large premises, such as those in the logistics sector, where a fire could spread rapidly across a vast warehouse. Integrating your CCTV with other measures, like perimeter monitoring via intruder alarms, provides a comprehensive security and safety shield for your entire site.
Electrical hazards are the number one cause of workplaces fires. Make sure all employees are instructed and regularly reminded of the importance of reporting electrical hazards or if something isn’t working as it should. Reporting electrical faults as soon as possible, will not only prevent fires in the workplace but will also improve the safety of employees when operating the equipment.
Once reported, it is imperative that the business acts quickly to sort and fix the electrical hazard to prevent a fire hazard.
Similar to the above, electrical appliances that are not working properly can cause a great fire risk. To prevent this, make sure to have regular maintenance visits and checks on all appliances to guarantee they are all in working order and not proposing a fire risk in the workplace. This includes both fixed electrical systems and portable appliance testing (PAT).
Electrical failures are a leading cause of accidental fires in commercial buildings. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) reminds us that while major incidents are rare, over 1,000 electricity-related workplace accidents are reported annually, highlighting the persistent danger posed by faulty equipment and neglected wiring. For heavy-use environments like a factory, where machinery operates constantly, this maintenance is non-negotiable. Modern systems can even employ predictive maintenance, using sensors and data analytics to flag equipment showing early signs of wear or overheating before they become a critical fire risk. This move away from reactive repairs to proactive maintenance is a key component of a robust modern fire prevention strategy.
Having a fire alarm system that doesn’t work properly or at all, is a major fire risk that is very easy to prevent. With regular weekly testing, you can guarantee that your system will carry out its necessary actions if a fire did occur, giving you an increased chance of stopping it spread and get out of hand.
While weekly testing is crucial, the legal requirement extends to professional fire alarm servicing, typically carried out every six months or annually depending on the system type and environment, as specified by BS 5839. This ensures complex components, such as control panels, detectors, and cabling, are fully compliant and functioning. Beyond detection, ensuring that your alarm system includes professional monitoring is also vital. In the event of an activation, a monitored system ensures the emergency services are immediately alerted, even if no one is on site, drastically cutting down response times that could save lives and property.
An effective way to prevent fires in the workplace is to start with your employees. If staff are aware of the potential hazards and trained accordingly on how to prevent them, you will have an overall safer and fire preventative aware workforce. With high quality training, you can have confidence that your employees will not only know how to prevent fires but also what to do in the event of a fire starting. Training employees to become fire safety champions ensures safety culture is embedded at every level of the organisation, which is particularly important in multi-site or high-occupancy buildings like those in property management.
BusinessWatch offers multiple fire safety training courses to keep your business and team safe, as well as helping you to prevent fires in the workplace.
Legally, all UK businesses must have an up-to-date fire risk assessment (FRA). This isn’t just a paper exercise; it is the foundation of your entire fire safety strategy. It involves identifying fire hazards, assessing who is at risk, and creating an action plan to eliminate or reduce those risks. The consequences of not having a current, effective FRA are severe. Beyond the immediate danger, business owners must understand that liability for fire incidents at work falls squarely on the Responsible Person, and enforcement actions, including fines or imprisonment, are common for serious breaches of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. Furthermore, an estimated 80% of businesses affected by a major fire never recover, underscoring the vital importance of professional compliance. Having an expert conduct your fire risk assessment is the essential first step to building a resilient business.
Adopting a strategy of continuous monitoring and management, often through connected managed services, is the best way to ensure all your fire and security systems remain compliant and effective year-round.
For a free quotation or more advice on how we can help you prevent fires in the workplace, please get in touch on 0330 094 7404, or online here.
