Fire poses a threat to any business or property, but it’s especially important to take all precautions necessary in commercial premises. A legal requirement for all businesses in the UK, it is the responsibility of the commercial property owner to ensure staff, customers and businesses assets are protected.
Commercial properties often have complex fire safety requirements. Although there is such an array of innovative enterprises and commercial spaces, all commercial properties require a detailed fire risk assessment nonetheless.
The best way to identify and mitigate potential fire hazards in commercial properties, a fire risk assessment from Melwood Facilities takes into account all aspects of your businesses, including;
- Construction & Layout
- Activities
- Materials & Substances
- People on-site/occupants, such as employees, customers or visitors
Which Properties Require a Commercial Fire Risk Assessment?
All commercial properties in the UK require a fire risk assessment (Fire Safety Order 2005), irrespective of size and purpose. Commercial properties include;
- Offices
- Shops
- Factories, Warehouses & Distribution Centres
- Sleeping Accommodation
- Residential Care Facilities
- Educational Properties
- Assembly Places such as Cinemas, Theatres & Concert Halls
- Healthcare Premises
- Zoos & Animal Premises
- Transport Premises
Commercial managers or responsible individuals have a legal and moral duty to arrange a fire risk assessment and regularity review it. Moreover, the responsible person must keep a record of all fire risk assessments. Failure to conduct a fire risk assessment or to maintain records is a criminal offence and can even result in a fine of imprisonment. To read more on who is responsible for arranging fire risk assessments in the UK, read our blog.
More importantly, missing a fire risk assessment can put employers, customers and visitors at risk of serious injury or death in the event of a fire.
A commercial fire risk assessment is not a one-off exercise – it should be regularly reviewed and scrutinised. If there is a significant change to your property or activities on-site, a fire risk assessment should be re-done. For instance, if new equipment is installed, layout of the premises changed to new materials are processed, you should update your commercial fire risk assessment accordingly.
What does a Commercial Fire Risk Assessment Include?
A commercial fire risk assessment from Melwood Facilities will identify existing fire hazards. Aspects such as electrical equipment, flammable materials and cooking appliances will be inspected to ascertain the level of risk when it comes to fire ignition.
We will also identify people at risk in commercial spaces. Employees, customers, visitors and any other personnel present at commercial properties are the number one priority, and Melwood Facilities’ approved contractors will identify any person vulnerable in the event of a fire.
As with any fire risk assessment, contractors assessing commercial spaces must evaluate all risks, looking at the likelihood and severity of every fire hazard and the risks present.
Once all checks are completed, our contractors will make recommendations on fire safety measures, aiming to reduce or eliminate the risks identified in the assessment. This may include ensuring all electrical equipment is sufficiently maintained or inspected, installing or maintaining fire alarm and detection systems, providing adequate fire extinguishers, fire suppression systems and firefighting equipment, training employers on fire safety procedures and conducting regular fire drills.
Uniquely, for commercial properties, a fire risk assessor will take numerous details into account and will assess factors such as;
- Operations of your business
- Opening/operating times
- Equipment or machinery used
- Impact on employees, customers and visitors
Benefits of a Commercial Fire Risk Assessments from Melwood Facilities
Beyond fulfilling your requirements from a legal perspective, a commercial fire risk assessment provides commercial landlords and responsible personnel with the peace of mind to conduct their activities or services confidently.
Our experienced fire safety contractors have extensive knowledge of a variety of commercial property types, with the required accreditations to identify, assess and rectify potential fire hazards in commercial spaces.
Areas We Cover
For a complete fire risk assessment in Wigan, from a team of fully-accredited, certified fire safety assessors, don’t hesitate to get in touch today.
Here at Melwood, we’re proud to offer industry-leading, local services to properties across the North-West. Some of our most popular areas of service include:
- Greater Manchester (Manchester, Salford, Stockport, Eccles, Wigan, Bolton)
- Lancashire (Preston, Blackpool, Blackburn)
- Merseyside (Liverpool, Warrington, St. Helens)
- Stoke-On-Trent
- Crewe
If you’re looking for a team you can trust, in your local area, don’t hesitate to get in touch with Melwood Facilities today. For more information about our Fire Doors please contact the Melwood team at hello@melwoodfacilities.co.uk.
