• The Power of Now – Fire Door Safety

  • “Practice “Safety First” today:
     It may be too late tomorrow”
     –                     
     Safety saying, circa the early 1900s

     

    Safety in the workplace is extremely important for any business owner and their employees. In honour of Fire Door Safety Week (25th September to 1st October 2017) we have decided to reflect on the importance of acting now rather than later, when matters of safety are concerned.

    Fire Door Safety Week aims to raise awareness of the critical role fire doors play and seeks to educate the population on their correct use and spotting/reporting faults or defects.

    However, it’s important to remember that Fire Door Safety Week is not just a one-week novelty and the messages shared are to be supported all year round.

    As humans – we all procrastinate from time to time. However, when safety is involved – procrastination can lead to a tsunami of fatal proportions. For instance – fire doors are often the first line of defence during fires and can be the difference between life and death. Nevertheless, 13% of people, surveyed by Ironmongery Direct 2017, admitted they would either take no action or be unsure what to do if a fire door had an obvious problem. Similarly, despite fire doors needing to remain shut to provide the optimum levels of safety – 93% of tradespeople noticed fire doors propped open illegally, when they had been working in commercial and public buildings.

    As the staggering figures have proven, many safety hazards can easily go unnoticed within workplaces. Therefore, rather than only carrying out periodic fire door checks – it is highly recommended that all users such as; staff and contractors are trained to spot and report their misuse or faults.

    This is because, when it comes to safety – the power always lies in the present, as a delay in a safety hazard being resolved today could consequently result in the loss of life tomorrow. So, our message to you is -take a minute to educate your peers on the basics of fire doors and take action on any issues NOW!

    The below 5 step checklist is a useful guide on what to look for when spotting issues or defects in fire doors.

     

    It is vital that installation, surveys and maintenance and regular compliance checks of fire doors are carried out by persons competent to do so. At Baltimore FM we carry our fire door surveys, training, remedial works and replacement projects ensuring our clients premises are compliant and safe.

    For more information on our fire protection and detection devices – get in touch with us today using 0203 714 2025 or by visiting our website www.baltimoregroup.co.uk/fire-protection-and-detection/