Ductwork Cleaning - Ensuring Fire Safety in the Workplace

Ensuring Fire Safety in the Workplace and the Importance of Ductwork Cleaning

It is the responsibility of every employer to ensure fire safety in the workplace, and ductwork cleaning experts Ingot Services have put together some advice on making sure you safeguard your staff and customers from fire hazards.

Most small and medium-sized businesses, including offices, shops, restaurants, clubs and pubs, are covered by the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 and need to comply with its requirements. As an employer, you are required to carry out a fire risk assessment and need to consider the needs of everybody who visits the premises, including customers and any visitors as well as your workforce.

Undertaking the initial assessment includes identifying any possible fire hazards, such as cooking equipment, ventilation systems and any areas where waste, such as paper or food, is collected for disposal. You also need to identify any individuals who may be at particular risk, whether because of their job, as in the case of kitchen staff, or because they are especially vulnerable – for instance, if your business has elderly or disabled customers who might take longer to get out of the building. 

After working out what the risks are, the next step is to reduce or remove the risks wherever possible, for instance by ensuring that flammable items are not stored near to heat sources. Grease build-up in ventilation systems is another possible fire hazard which you need to guard against. Ductwork cleaning specialists Ingot offer a professional service to ensure that your HVAC system is kept clean and safe, as well as keeping proper records which will ensure that you meet all legal requirements in this area. Kitchen extract cleaning will be needed more frequently in some premises, such as restaurants or canteens, and we can advise on how often it should be carried out in your particular business or organisation.

Fire precautions will vary depending on your type of business and how the building is laid out, but in every case it is vital that you have a suitable alarm system in place to alert people if a blaze does start. Other essential steps are installing fire extinguishers – you will normally need a minimum of one on each floor, and may require more depending on the size of your premises – and working out safe routes for people to leave the building by if and when the alarm does sound. Staff must also be informed about the arrangements and trained in how to react in the event of a fire.

Once you have drawn up a fire risk assessment, it will need to be reviewed at regular intervals and also if there are any alterations to your building or changes to the way your business operates, such as a new shift pattern. You can keep up to date with the latest legal requirements by visiting the Government website on fire safety in the workplace. Local fire and rescue authorities have the responsibility for inspecting premises to check that requirements are being met. 

About Ingot Services

Ingot Services is HVAC registered and specialises in professional ductwork cleaning and commercial kitchen cleaning. We can provide you with a top quality service putting health and safety first in everything, and advising you on how to meet all legal requirements. 

Ductwork Cleaning  – contact Ingot now for more details.