How To Manage Fire Safety in Large Buildings

Mitigating the risk of fire in larger buildings or multi-site operations can seem like a daunting task, but with a professional fire risk assessment and guidance from an experienced fire safety company like FireCare, you can be confident that your premises is complaint with fire safety regulations and your employees, tenants or residents are protected in the event of a fire.

Evacuation Plan

Having a strong and practiced evacuation plan for the occupants of your premises is vital to ensure that in the event of a fire, everyone knows how to exit the building safely, preventing injury or even loss of life. This is especially important to protect vulnerable occupants or employees such as the elderly, immobile employees or those with disabilities, people working near fire risks, employees who work alone or in isolated areas, or people who are unfamiliar with the building layout (e.g., visitors or contractors).

Emergency Signs

In larger buildings it can be less clear where the closest fire exit is located, which is why it is especially important to utilize fire safety signage. By signposting the nearest fire exit and well signed escape routes, you can help safe precious time in the event of a fire, and could help to prevent loss of life by facilitating a faster and more efficient evacuation.

Addressable Fire Alarms

One of the most important parts of your fire safety plan should include the right type of fire alarm. In large buildings, knowing where a fire has broken out makes evacuation more efficient, and could save lives. Addressable fire alarm systems are able to identify the exact location of a fire through a network of fire alarms, smoke detectors and heat detectors, with a control panel which can indicate the location of the active alarm.

This type of fire alarm is recommended for large premises and multi-site operations, allowing users to see which areas are affected by fire. In smaller buildings such as a single storey office building, an addressable fire alarm system wouldn’t be as necessary, a conventional system would be adequate, as it would be easier to identify where the fire had occurred using your zone chart.

Professional Fire Risk Assessment

For business owners and employers, the potential loss of files and data and the cost and inconvenience of moving to a temporary location could badly affect your ability to continue trading. By choosing a professional fire safety company such as FireCare to manage your fire safety, you can rest assured that our hassle-free, comprehensive fire risk assessment will highlight any potential or existing hazards and help to prevent a fire.

About FireCare Security & Electrical

At FireCare, we provide pragmatic, comprehensive fire safety services to businesses throughout Hampshire, Dorset, Surrey and London.  We will keep you compliant, without causing you inconvenience. To arrange a site survey and book your fire risk assessment, complete our contact form, or email info@firecareandsecurity.co.uk.