Good Housekeeping

Rubbish inside and outside should be stored safely as it forms a fire hazard, it can block an exit and it can be a health and safety risk. What you don’t want is for wheelie bins or rubbish to be pushed against fire exit doors, or for someone to come along and set fire to the bin, which will then not only cause a fire but also block the exit.

Rubbish stored under stairs can be a fire risk and a fire under stairs will block the emergency exit and the fire will soon spread to the upper floors.  Good housekeeping ensures that bins are emptied and rubbish stored safely.

If you work in a kitchen it is important to make sure there is always somebody there whenever cooking is in progress. You need to make sure pots and pans are not left unattended as this could cause a fire.

Another good housekeeping practice is to make sure you have formal risk assessments.

These are required but are also very important to make sure that you identify risks and you look at every other possible thing you can do within the workplace in order to reduce the risk of a fire. These can include, making sure chemicals are stored correctly and having explosive proof containers if something is a possible risk of explosion.

Always make sure there are the correct fire extinguishers on-site and that they are the correct ones for the risks and hazards within your workplace.

Fire extinguishers are only ever good if they are properly maintained, so having a good maintenance record and good training is imperative.