It is important to understand the common fire hazards in the workplace. If you understand where and how fires are most likely to break out, you can design and implement fire safety policies and procedures to effectively manage, mitigate, or eliminate the risks.
Some of the most common fire hazards in the workplace include:
- Electrical and battery fires
- Flammable substances
- Smoking
- Build up of combustible materials
- Cooking
- Ineffective fire safety equipment
We will explore each of these, the common causes of these issues and how they can quite quickly lead to a fire in the workplace.
Electrical and Battery Fires
Electrical items have always carried a fire risk. But the risk may be greater than ever due to the widespread use of lithium-ion batteries.
Lithium-ion batteries are used to power a wide range of devices, including laptops, smartphones, electric scooters, e-bikes, and other kinds of electrical vehicles. They are compact, they have a high energy density, and they are rechargeable. Yet they may also carry a significant fire risk.
If lithium-ion batteries are faulty or damaged, it can lead to a chemical reaction known as thermal runaway: The battery overheats rapidly, and can ignite spontaneously, burning at temperatures of around 1,000°C. Burning lithium batteries also emit toxic, flammable gases, meaning that fires can quickly spread, and even result in explosions.
Flammable Substances
It is common to store large amounts of flammable substances in many workplaces. These include flammable liquids and vapours, including many common cleaning products, and combustible materials such as paper and cardboard.
A single spark can cause these substances to ignite. And as flammable substances are often stored in bulk, even a small fire can quickly spread.
Smoking
Smoking in the workplace is perhaps not as common as it used to be, and most smokers now smoke outside in designated areas. But people can be careless. If a cigarette, or a lit match, is not properly extinguished and disposed of, it can start a fire. If this fire breaks out near any flammable materials, then it will spread rapidly.
Build-up of Combustible Materials
Most workplaces produce a lot of waste, a lot of which is combustible. If you do not take proper precautions to store and dispose of this waste, then you are creating a significant fire hazard.
The build up of dust is another major cause of fires in workplaces. If you do not have adequate ventilation in place, dust deposits, along with atmospheric dust, can cause fires, and even explosions.
Cooking
There are many fire hazards in kitchens, from faulty ovens, toasters, and other appliances to the abundance of flammable oils and other liquids.
In offices and other workplaces, it is common for workers to put something in a toaster or microwave, and leave it unattended while it cooks. Such behaviour can make fires more likely, as it creates a risk that the food will ignite, or the appliance will overheat.
Ineffective Fire Safety Equipment
Finally, if the fire safety equipment in your workplace is not working like it should, then even a small fire can quickly spread into something much more serious.
Examples include:
- Untested fire alarms – are the batteries still good?
- Fire doors left open – which means that if a fire does break out, it will have a chance to spread.
- Blocked fire doors – which can endanger lives in the event of a fire.
- Inappropriate fire extinguishers for the type of fire hazard.
How To Prevent The Risk of Fire in the Workplace
Please note that this guidance is not exhaustive, and is merely intended to provide some best-practice examples for how you can control the fire hazards in your workplace:
- Train all of your staff in fire safety. Make sure everyone understands the specific risks in your workplace, and how to manage them. Also ensure that everyone knows exactly what actions to take in the event of a fire, in order to keep themselves and their colleagues safe. Make this training part of all staff inductions, and ensure that everyone gets periodic refresher training.
- Take care with electricals. Never overload any plug sockets, and if possible, unplug any machinery or equipment when not in use.
- Take particular care with lithium-ion and other batteries. Do not use them if they appear in any way damaged or degraded. Do not overcharge them. And never dispose of any batteries in the main waste stream. Use a dedicated recycling service instead.
- Take care in how you store waste and other combustible materials. When it comes to flammable substances, follow the manufacturer’s instructions on storage and management exactly. Clean up any spillages immediately.
- Regularly test all of your fire safety equipment, and replace anything that needs replacing as soon as you spot an issue.
Are You Covered For Workplace Fires?
James Hallam is an independent, family-run Lloyd’s broker. Since 1982, we have helped hundreds of businesses across UK understand and manage their fire risks, while getting comprehensive cover for all risks at a competitive price.
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