As your local (and five-star rated, by the way) Macclesfield and Cheshire Fire Extinguisher experts – in supply, commissioning, installation, and servicing all around the area – we see businesses making mistakes with their fire safety and fire extinguishers.
These mistakes can cost money. They can even cost you your business – or worse.
Get Your Fire Protection Right
After working with countless businesses, we see the same issues come up again and again. And most of these mistakes are completely avoidable. Just imagine losing your livelihood to fire and finding out you could have prevented it. Worse, imagine your insurance company failing to pay out because YOU didn’t fulfil your obligations…
Even when you have fire extinguishers in place, things can still go awry. Here are just a few of the issues we’ve come across in our many years as a fire fighter and fire extinguisher specialists:
- No Pressure – Pressure Guage in the Red
- No Hose Attached
- No Horn Attached (CO2)
- Missing Fire Extinguishers – “It was there the last time I looked.”
- Water Fire Extinguisher in a commercial kitchen – not the correct extinguisher for fats and oils! Using this would cause a catastrophic fire ball explosion.
- A fire extinguisher 30-years out of date but “well, it still works…”
- A fire blanket case – but no fire blanket in it.
Those are all real examples – those business owners were lucky. Don’t rely on luck – here are the most common fire safety mistakes:
Fire Protection Isn’t a One-Off
Treating fire safety as a one-time job is perhaps one of the most common mistakes – possibly THE most common. Too many businesses simply install extinguishers, conduct a perfunctory risk assessment – then forget about it.
Fire safety is ongoing, not a one-off task. It needs to become a habit, and those fire extinguishers alone aren’t enough. They need servicing and maintaining, and your staff need to know EXACTLY where they are – and how to operate them.
The Wrong Type of Fire Extinguisher
As we all know – and, if you don’t have a read of our past blogs – not all fires are the same. And, to echo the above, your staff need to know which extinguisher for which fire as well as where they are and how to use them.
Using the wrong extinguisher can be ineffective. Worse, the wrong fire extinguisher can even make the fire worse and in doing so, put your premises and people at risk. If yours is one of those businesses that just install whatever was cheapest or available, think about what you could lose. If you’re employed by one of these businesses, speak with management – this is urgent.
Poor Placement of Fire Extinguishers
Even with the right fire protection equipment, if the extinguishers are hidden or hard to reach, or not sited near exits, it’s unlikely to be used properly in an emergency. Think about it – a small fire, but nobody knows where the extinguisher is. Or, because you’ve never needed it before, it’s hidden behind boxes or equipment. Do you hang around to try and find it or panic and leave the premises?
Fire Service advice is to get out – if the fire extinguisher is located adjacent to the WAY out, it’s more likely to do the job for which it’s intended. And that could be the difference between saving your business – or losing everything.
Fire Extinguishers Need Regular Servicing
This is a big one – and, yes, it’s included above, in the Fire Protection Isn’t a One-Off section. However, it’s crucial, so it’s worth a section of its own.
Fire extinguishers can:
- Lose pressure.
- Become damaged.
- Fail completely.
Without servicing, you can’t be sure that your fire extinguisher will do the job you need it to do when deployed. Don’t do half a job. Site the fire extinguishers AND get them properly serviced and maintained. Hopefully, you’ll never need to use them – but you need to know they’ll do what they’re there for.
Don’t Ignore Risks
Even the small fire risks can build into bigger risks if neglected or ignored.
This could even be basic things like:
- Overloaded sockets
- Blocked exits
- Poor storage
These are often overlooked and can lead to serious incidents. Again, like fire extinguishers which haven’t been serviced, you may not even be aware of the risk until the worst happens.
Outdated Fire Risk Assessments
So, you had a fire risk assessment. Job done, right? Right – for now. Businesses change. Premises change. Stock levels – and types – change. Staff change. All these variables could render your last fire risk assessment pretty much obsolete.
So, if anything changes in your business – whether it’s a one-off or a regular occurrence, such as layouts, equipment, or staff, make sure your fire risk assessment reflects that. Not updating risk assessments in line with other changes, creates gaps in safety.
Avoid the Commonest Fire Extinguisher Errors
What should you do to ensure you don’t make these mistakes? Don’t panic, it’s easy to ensure your fire extinguishers – and your wider fire safety procedures – are fit for purpose:
- Review fire safety regularly.
- Keep fire extinguishers maintained.
- Train staff.
- Take expert advice (that’s what we’re here for!)
With such a mix of older buildings, modern units, and converted spaces here in Cheshire, the fire risks can vary widely. That’s why a tailored approach, guided by fire experts, is key.
Because, let’s face it, most fire safety failures aren’t caused by dramatic events. They’re caused by neglecting, ignoring, or not noticing small things over time.
Fix the basics, follow the advice, and you massively reduce your risk.