Top 10 Fire Safety Risk Assessment Mistakes to Avoid

There are no questions about the importance of fire safety risk assessment, as it can save lives, property and even valuable documents. It is also essential to conduct a fire safety risk assessment annually. This process ensures the establishment of an advanced fire protection system in the building. It is a must for office buildings and definitely beneficial to have for residential properties. Seeking assistance from professional service providers is always considered to be wise. According to several reports, fire breakouts cause devastating effects due to human errors. All those frequently committed mistakes will be discussed in detail to inform common people.

Quite Often, it is Done from the Desktop

Fire safety risk assessment is a process that needs to be conducted practically and not by sitting in front of a desktop. Multiple invigilations need to be conducted by different people to eliminate any scope for errors. Quite often, it is found that fire safety risk assessments are conducted in front of a computer based on the last year's reports.

Yes/No Answers

After conducting the assessment, all the findings need to be mentioned in detail. One-word reports prepared with only a yes/no format are highly prone to be misunderstood. In addition, reports based on the findings should not only state the problems but also solutions for them. Problems and solutions make things easier to understand for property owners.

Absence of Action Plan

You must remember the detailed action plan as it is an integral part of the fire safety risk assessment. An action plan for fire risk assessment should include the escape routes, indications of fire safety devices, usage of fire shields and many more related to such emergencies. Ranking and suitable timescales are very important aspects that must be considered while preparing action plans.

Unprofessional Execution

Minor elements of risk are very hard to determine and can only be figured by highly trained and sheer professionals. Hence, it is very important to hire a reliable service provider, even if they charge more. Technical knowledge can only assure of figuring out all the potential fire risks. Saving up a few bucks initially can be costly in case of fire breakouts.

Not Maintaining the Guidelines

Neglecting the local guidelines can result in paying hefty fines. Guidelines can vary according to state norms and regulations. Professional fire safety services are always well aware of such guidelines. Hiring them can definitely solve these problems easily. Apart from the state laws, it is also advised to maintain the British national guidelines as mentioned.

Not Sharing the Reports

The findings should be shared with everyone, including the owners and employees, in the case of office buildings. In the case of residential buildings, all the family members should be informed. People can act accordingly if they are well informed about the assessment findings. While informing, it is always best to let people know about the escape routes and the usage of fire fighting equipment.

Failing to Update

As has already been discussed, you should take up an annual fire safety risk assessment for your building. Ignoring an annual checkup may turn out to be dangerous. One should understand that things can completely change in a year. Not staying up to date is a very common mistake people commit throughout the globe. Even in some cases, people skip for a year after maintaining it for years, which can be even more dangerous.

Ignorance

On completion of the assessment, professional fire safety companies generally offer a report. This report basically consists of findings and appropriate solutions for them. A lot of people quite often need to pay more attention to minor problems. It should never be the story; everyone should remember that small things lead to something big if untreated. Ignorance is a huge mistake that needs to be eliminated.

Skipping Procedures and Arrangements

While conducting the assessment, all the procedures should be undertaken according to the standard norms and regulations rather than skipping any. All the arrangements, including escape plans, indications of safety devices and usage of fire fighting equipment, need to be clearly informed. Organizing demo drills can be the best solution to cater to such requirements.

Lack of Competence

Conducting fire safety risk assessments is a very responsible job as a lot of things matter in it. People offering such services can never take things casually. According to the national laws and regulations, one can also be prosecuted for not working according to the standard protocols. Even the slightest of errors can take away several lives in no time. Therefore, even the clients should only hire a company after extensive research.

Overview

All the common mistakes committed while conducting fire safety risk assessment have been extensively discussed. Having a read will help the readers know about them and avoid them in the future. Several professional fire safety services are operating successfully in and around Wales. But, again, extensive research needs to be conducted before hiring a professional service. The importance of Fire Risk Assessment can never be questioned as it is highly beneficial to prevent fire. It helps to stay prepared and eliminate all the threats that can fuel the fire.