Fire can ravage a workplace, causing destruction to your business’ property and risking the life of your employees. With this in mind, having appropriate fire safety procedures in place is vital to keep people and property protected.
This includes fire safety training, which gives people within your organisation the skills needed to be a designated fire warden, implement the relevant fire safety processes and keep people safe.
In this article, the KW Fire Protection team will look closer at who needs fire safety training in the workplace, providing you with all the information you need to keep your businesses safe and compliant with the necessary legal requirements.
What does the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 say?
The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 outlines a whole host of legal requirements that businesses and organisations must have in place when it comes to commercial fire safety.
It states that it is the responsibility of the employer to ensure that employees are provided with adequate fire safety training.
The form this fire training takes varies from business to business, however, it will always include fire warden training.
The role of a fire warden
A fire warden is a designated person within a business who is responsible for fire safety procedures. They play a vital role in the workplace regarding fire safety, and in the event of a real emergency, they will oversee a swift and safe evacuation of the premises.
Who in your workplace takes on the role of a fire warden is up to you. Usually, it will be someone that is deemed responsible and competent by the organisation’s owner or manager. The designated fire warden will then be required to embark on a fire safety training course to provide them with the necessary skills to do the job effectively.
The training itself will only take a few hours but the qualification lasts for three years before it needs to be renewed.
The number of fire wardens you need within an organisation depends on the number of people you employ, as well as whether your day-to-day activities are considered high risk.
A high-risk business is one that has a significant amount of potentially flammable or combustible materials on site, if a fire is easily spreadable (for example if it has wooden or carpeted floors) and if there are vulnerable employees or customers in the premises. This could be elderly or disabled people.
On the other hand, a low-risk workplace is one that has very few flammable or combustible substances in place, and is ideally not built from flammable materials such as wood.
These days, it’s rare for a business to be considered low risk.
However, a low-risk business only needs one fire warden for every 50 people, whereas it is one fire warden for every 15 people in a high-risk environment.
What happens if I don’t have a fire warden?
First and foremost, it’s important to remember that fire wardens, just like alarms and extinguishers, are there to keep you and your employees safe. A fire can be deadly and destroy your premises, so having the correct commercial fire safety measures in place is vital to prevent this from happening.
However, it’s also a legal requirement. In the event, a fire does occur and it is discovered you have not been following fire safety regulations, including fire wardens, you could face a hefty fine and even prison time depending on the severity of the incident.
Fire warden training with KW Fire
At KW Fire Protection, we provide customers across Manchester, Bolton, Oldham and the surrounding areas with a wide range of leading commercial fire safety services.
This includes fire safety training where we’ll train your staff to be fire wardens, giving them the skills they need to take the lead in the event of an emergency. They’ll also learn how to maintain your organisation’s emergency procedures, spot hazards, conduct fire drills and more.
To find out more about our range of fire safety services, get in touch with the KW Fire Protection team today.
