Under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, and the more recent British Standard BS5306 8:2012, strict rules have been established to ensure that fire fighting equipment is always where it’s meant to be and always easy to find.

The British Standard BS5306 Part 8:2012 states that extinguishers should be mounted with the handle a specific distance from the ground depending on the overall weight of the extinguisher. This often causes people to believe that this is the only way they can be stored. However, there is another option...

You may have heard the term PAT testing thrown around the workplace occasionally, but what is it? Why is it important and what does it have to do with fire safety?

When you think about the measures and protocols that are put in place to protect a building and inhabitants, you would be forgiven for thinking it’s just water sprinklers and alarm systems. After all, these are the fire protection systems that are the most obvious. Sprinkler systems are the systems that get shown in films and TV every day and Fire Alarms often make noisy appearances in our everyday lives.

But there's more to fire protection systems than simply fire extinguishers and sprinkler systems. 

A Fire Warden (or Fire Marshal) is a designated person within an organisation who is given specific responsibilities that help in the management of fire safety and the safety of building occupants in the event of an emergency. 

A Fire Warden’s duties and responsibilities vary from business to business, depending on the risks outlined in a Fire Risk Assessment.

All quality fire extinguishers that comply with the modern manufacturing standard BS EN 3, will be printed with a code that gives the ‘fire extinguisher rating’.

This rating helps you to understand which types of fires the extinguisher is capable of dealing with and helps risk assessors and business owners understand their fire extinguisher needs.

There are various types of fire extinguisher, each designed to tackle different classes of fire. The “class” refers to different types of fuel, for example A = combustibles, B = flammable liquids. Different classes of fire require different mechanisms to extinguish them. Some require smothering to remove oxygen, and some require the removal of heat. Here’s a quick guide to understanding when you should use each fire extinguisher.

Since their introduction in 1874, sprinklers have featured relatively heavily in film and television. They have been the method of escape, distraction, flood and damage in countless pieces across film and TV.

But has film and television tainted our view of sprinkler? Do we expect too much from them. As the responsible person, it’s your responsibility to understand how fire suppression techniques work.

Under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, the terms “Responsible Person”, ”Competent Person”, and “Relevant Person” are introduced. If you’re not sure who in your organisation is responsible for fire safety or are unsure as to your duties, we’re here to help provide the information you need to stay informed, safe and in control.

So how do you know if you’re the responsible, competent or relevant person?

Fire extinguishers perform a vital role in the suppression of small workplace fires. As one of the first lines of defence against fire, it is the responsibility of the business owner to ensure that all extinguishers are serviced in accordance with BS 5306-3:2009

Of course it’s also simply sensible to check on potentially life-saving devices regularly, but what are some of the reasons that a fire extinguisher might fail?