Fire Risk Assessment Becomes Mandatory in Line with the Government Guidelines

During these difficult times we must all work together to keep as many office premises in Manchester functioning whilst ensuring that employees are kept safe from both Covid-19 and Fire!

Office premises in Manchester are fully aware that they must follow the Government guidelines on social distancing and home working but as a consequence is Fire Safety being ignored?

Offices that remain partially or fully open are still required to ensure that their Fire Safety measures are adequate and Fire protection equipment is inspected, tested and maintained as per Fire Safety regulations.

If, or when any changes in measures are introduced to control the spread of Covid-19, as recommended by official Government guidance, they should also be considered in the context of the Fire Safety Risk Assessment for the Office, this will help manage and mitigate the risk of Fire as much as reasonably practicable. Any significant changes identified should be recorded within the Fire Safety Risk Assessment and actioned upon as require and within appropriate timescales.

The Responsible Person for the premise may want to consider reducing as many risks from Fire as possible for example switching off non-essential equipment, services and machinery. The level of risk associated with the premise may have risen due to an increase in waste, storage or even additional levels of stock. All these considerations should be addressed as part of the Responsible Persons regular updates to the Fire Safety Risk Assessment for the Office.

It is imperative at this time to look at the Fire Safety Emergency Plan and to checked that there are still appropriate numbers of staff to ensure evacuation can be carried out safely. If there are any changes to the Fire Safety Emergency Plan these must be immediately communicated to all members of Staff.

It is highly recommended for all Responsible Persons who manage Offices in Manchester to check with their insurers that their existing policy still covers their premise at this extraordinary time.