Most businesses would find it difficult to carry on without the right tools, and your commercial property is one of them. So it makes sense to ensure you have the right insurance to protect yourself.

But if you took the time to protect yourself, you’d hate for it to become invalidated by something simple. This could mean that your insurer would not pay out in the event of an incident.

If you don’t take the right precautions with your fire safety equipment, that can happen.

Regardless of that though, as a good employer you’ll want to be safeguarding your workforce. So take a look and see what you can do to keep everything and everyone protected in a fire.

Having a Fire Risk Assessment

This is required under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005.

Failure to have a fire risk assessment completed, and updated when necessary, could void your insurance. This should be updated if the circumstances of your business alter. These include changing the layout of the building and making changes to business operations.

Having a risk assessment will enable you to identify potential risks. You can then minimise and take the relevant precautions to ensure you have all the correct equipment.

Servicing your Fire Extinguishers

Another way to invalidate your insurance is to not have up-to-date fire extinguisher certificates. So it pays to make sure you have your extinguishers serviced annually.

Water, dry powder, and foam fire extinguishers should receive an extended service every five years. For Co2 fire extinguishers, they still need annual servicing, with an extended service every ten.

It also ensures they are in good working order, so should they ever need to be used, they’ll be a help and not a hindrance.

You’re giving everyone the best chance of survival by doing this.

Storing your Fire Extinguishers

Without special exception, you should no longer be storing dry powder extinguishers indoors. This is because using them in a confined space can cause breathing difficulties and confusion.

External extinguishers which contain antifreeze now need to have an extended service yearly. This will mean they’re inspected for signs of corrosion and will have their contents replaced.

If these are not adhered to, then it can affect your insurance policy with certain providers.

Having Sprinklers Installed

In many commercial property insurance policies, this is not something that has to be present. But having them installed in your business will decrease your insurance premium.

It is also an efficient way of reducing the potential damage and risk to life a fire can cause.

You might be sceptical of having them after watching the films where a lit match can set them off, but in reality, they only activate once they reach a certain temperature.

What To Do Next

So check you are complying with the terms of your insurance policy. And also make sure all your fire safety equipment is up to scratch. But also ensure you are doing everything you can to make sure your workforce are always safe.

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