FEATURE
FIRE SAFETY MATTERS
Fired up – The team ( back row , from left ) Gary Crawford , Graeme Smith , Phil Jukes , Matty Stather and Joe Flounders and ( front row , from left ) Amy Diaz , Lisa Howsden and Helen Abbey .
Tees firms urged to be aware of new fire safety legislation
PICTURE : TOM BANKS WORDS : PHILIP TALLENTIRE
There ’ s no need for the Tees business community to be in the firing line when it comes to fire safety and prevention .
That ’ s because Cleveland Fire Brigade is making great efforts to provide all the relevant information that the region ’ s companies require to comply with imminent changes in legislation .
As summer turns to autumn , a significant date on the calendar for all businesses is October 1 .
Cleveland Fire Brigade wants to make sure any firms not already aware of the new legislation – section 156 of the Building Safety Act – are brought fully up to speed with the changes .
Fortunately , there ’ s still time available for companies to check to see what , if anything , they need to do before the deadline .
Cleveland Fire Brigade ’ s head of protection Joe Flounders says : “ We promote fire safety and we prefer to engage with businesses rather than simply enforce regulations .
“ We want to raise awareness of what they should be doing rather than telling them what to do .
“ We work together to educate the business community to highlight what ’ s causing fires so that we can try to prevent more happening because , obviously , prevention ’ s much better than the cure .”
The brigade ’ s current awareness campaign has already included the National Fire Chiefs Council ’ s Business Safety Week , held during September , which promoted understanding of key new regulatory requirements relating specifically to the business sector .
In a bid to spread the word far and wide , Cleveland Fire Brigade had a highly visible presence across Teesside ’ s four borough councils throughout the week in question .
But , for those businesses that require advice and guidance , there ’ s still time to make use of the brigade ’ s expertise and to tick all the relevant fire safety and prevention boxes .
Joe urges any business requiring more information regarding the new guidelines to reach out to his team .
“ To anyone out there requiring advice , I ’ d say , ‘ Please get in touch with us if you have any queries or concerns , we ’ re more than happy to provide help and advice ’,” he says .
“ We can pop out to chat with people and to have a look at their premises and give them advice .
“ We ’ ll support them through any changes they need to make to ensure the premises are safe .
“ Because , if the fire safety order applies to a business premises or an organisation ’ s activities then there ’ s a significant change in legislation that will affect them .”
In addition to helping businesses and organisations comply with the incoming regulations , the aim is also to promote ways in which fires can be prevented in the first place .
Cleveland Fire Brigade is aiming to help businesses avoid becoming the victims of arson while also raising awareness of battery charger fires .
“ Arson and electrical fires are two of the biggest causes of commercial and industrial fires ,” reveals Joe .
“ Arson alone is responsible for approximately 50 per cent of our fires and businesses can take simple measures around security and lighting around premises to reduce the risk .
“ Measures include the use of CCTV , increasing security and removing any combustible rubbish that can be set on fire .
“ The problem of battery fires occurring during recharging is an increasing problem .”
“ Mobile phones , scooters and other rechargeable items can catch fire and so we ’ d recommend not leaving them on charge overnight or in an unattended location .
“ But , once again , we ’ re here to advise if any business needs more specific information .”
To get in touch with the fire engineering department at Cleveland Fire Brigade call the helpdesk on 01429 874109 , email fireengineeringhelpdesk @ clevelandfire . gov . uk or visit clevelandfire . gov . uk and follow the link to Business pages where you ’ ll find a fire safety awareness tool .
The voice of business in the Tees region | 69