Offices and other commercial buildings contain a large amount of valuable equipment, as well as customer and financial records. If a business was to lose some or all of these in a fire then it could be disastrous for them. However, by installing the right type of fire prevention measures you can help to limit this risk and reduce the potential for widespread damage. A Fire Safety Consultancy Bristol company can help advise you on areas in which you should improve your fire safety and fire procedures.
Damage from fires
The degree of loss suffered from industrial and commercial fires is rising. If the figures continue to grow at the same rate, then by 2020 it could be costing UK businesses up to £10 billion. This type of loss is actually preventable and shouldn’t be happening on this scale if the right elements are put in place. This can include the use of fire sprinklers, such as the Automist systems.
A key priority for any business must be the safety of their workers across all areas of activity. This includes ensuring that the correct forms of fire protection and prevention equipment are fitted, as well as providing fire fighting products and ensuring that an adequate evacuation plan is in place. This all forms part of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, which states that businesses must take steps to protect workers from fire and other hazardous conditions. In 2013/14, 17 people were killed in fires within buildings that weren’t residential dwellings, which includes commercial properties.
Returning a business to normal
As well as the initial losses suffered in a fire, these situations can also have devastating consequences for a business. If the premises aren’t protected properly it can often result in them being unusable following a fire. This would be an enormous disruption for the business and could lead to a loss of customers if they cannot trade fully. In some cases, businesses have had to close permanently after a fire, simply because they have been unable to function and have lost too much money.
Those buildings that are protected with fire protection systems can generally be put back into action within days or even hours. Sprinkler systems are an extremely efficient method of protecting a building from the damaging effects of fire.
When these systems are activated, they will leave large parts of the building unaffected and, therefore, useable. Sprinklers help to prevent a fire from spreading too much and the majority of the damage tends to be confined in a fairly compact space. When they need to be used, the systems will cause less damage than that inflicted by the activation of fire hoses.
Whether you’re setting up a new business or reassessing fire protocols in an existing building, it’s vital that you implement the correct measures. If the worst was to happen, it could mean the difference between your business surviving or not.
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