When it comes to keeping your employees safe, it is always prudent to expect the best but plan for the worst; you will never regret making the necessary fire safety arrangements. Safeguarding your business against fire by ensuring the necessary equipment, such as fire extinguishers and sprinklers, are functional and in place, alongside being aware of key aspects of fire prevention, can help to prevent tragedy and destruction.

In fact, regulation 43 of the harmonised work health and safety (WHS) legislation outlines the necessity for a business to adequately prepare to ensure the safety of their workforce in the event of a fire. The following steps can be undertaken to ensure that your business adheres to this important regulation and that your employees will remain safe if a fire should break out on your business premises.

Risk Assessment: In order to create the emergency plan that is necessary for both adherence to regulation 43 and to keep employees safe, it is first necessary to carry out a risk assessment regarding the fire risk for your business. This includes taking into account the type of work that is carried out on the premise, any hazards that may arise from this type of work, the layout, size and location of the business, and how many people are present at the place of work.

The Emergency Plan: The emergency plan itself must include adequate information of any and all emergency procedures to be undertaken in the event of a fire. This includes but is not limited to a planned response to an emergency situation, how those injured would be medically treated, a pre-planned line of communication between an authorised person within the business and the emergency services and the procedure for evacuating all personnel within the building. 

Be Prepared: In order to avoid excessive damage to property or loss of life from fires in the workplace, it is key to make sure that your business is equipped with some key pieces of equipment. Situating fire extinguishers in key places throughout the property can help to put out smaller fires and prevent them from spreading. Fire extinguishers can be placed in hallways, on landings and in areas with an increased risk of fire—such as kitchens or where there is a lot of computer equipment. An adequate risk assessment can be beneficial to work out where best to situate fire extinguishers throughout a property. 

Fire Prevention:  When it comes to fire safety, prevention is the best form of defence. Routines—such as avoiding overloading circuits, regularly checking for frayed electrical cords or wiring and turning off electrical devices when not in use—can quickly become habits that could prevent a fire from occurring in the workplace. 

For the full regulations relating to fire safety in the workplace, please refer to regulation 43 of the harmonised work health and safety (WHS) legislation. You can also check out a site like http://www.fireprotectionservices.com.au to find fire extinguishers for sale.