Top 10 Fire Hazards In Commercial Spaces During The Festive Season
The festive season has a widely varying impact on different areas of the commercial sector. For some it is a quiet, end of year wind-down where people generally relax and take things easy for the last couple of weeks, while for others it is the busiest time of year, and can result in the highest seasonal sales period. In both scenarios, this time of year can result in complacency and a drop in usual standards, and in terms of fire safety that can have damaging impacts.
Whether you are a production plant or warehouse with slow orders at this time of year, or a hospitality business with festive parties and events to manage, here are the top ten fire hazards you are most likely to encounter over the Christmas and New Year period.
1. Overloaded electrical sockets
The festive season may bring temporary stalls or displays, as well as the obvious addition of Christmas lights. Naturally we stick all this in extension sockets and there is a real danger of overloading these. Extension sockets are circuits which are only designed to cope with a certain current demand, and filling every socket can overcrowd the circuit and cause a power surge, and a potential fire.
2. Cheap and flammable decorations
We don’t tend to employ much quality control when it comes to Christmas decorations, whether this is tinsel or fairy lights. Cheap decorations often equate to more flammable materials, so we should be extra vigilant that we aren’t leaving any fire hazards and that everything complies with the relevant safety standards.
3. Obstructed fire exits
As well as additional decorations which could obstruct fire exits, we may have extra inventory at this time of year. This may be raw materials ready for the January re-start or extra product we have made or have ready to sell. We should always ensure fire exits remain clear and accessible at all times.
4. Vacant properties
Leaving a property vacant over the festive period means it is susceptible to vandals, nuisance and trespass, and also means that no one is carrying out regular health and safety checks. This is usually fine over a weekend, but if a commercial property is left vacant for a week, ten days or even two weeks in some cases, this could become a problem and you need to manage this risk.
5. Christmas trees
Natural Christmas trees are an obvious hazard, and if these are left in a property over the festive period, they do present a potential fire hazard, particularly as this is not normal practice and there may be no everyday procedures in place to guard against this.
6. Heating systems
Heating systems have much greater demands on them at this time of year, so it is important that they are serviced in the run-up to Christmas and are regularly inspected at all other times. You should also ensure boilers are left clear with no obstructions.
7. Seasonal employees
At this time of year we regularly set-on temporary employees to help with the seasonal rush. It is essential that they are fully trained in safety procedures and the fire risks present on site, even if they are only working for a couple of weeks.
8. Poor shutdown procedures
It is common for complacency to set in when people’s minds are elsewhere. This could be because work has really slowed down, or because everyone is busier than ever. When a business shuts down for the Christmas break, however long this is, it is essential that responsible people aren’t rushed to get home for Christmas and conduct a proper shutdown procedure. This includes flammable materials storage, shutting doors and windows and turning on all alarms.
9. Alcohol consumption
While most businesses have strict procedures relating to drug and alcohol consumption in the workplace, at this time of year such procedures could be tested and could also lapse. This can lead to a dereliction of duties and to misadventure in extreme cases.
10. Lapses in fire alarm monitoring
During a very busy period it is easy to make health and safety checks non-priority. This can include fire alarm monitoring. Checking the fire alarm should form part of the shutdown procedure, and the business should put something in place to monitor alarms and the property itself over the Christmas break.
Contact Apardion for assistance and support with fire safety over the festive period
At Apardion we have various procedures and services we can put in place to help you manage fire safety over the festive period. These include a waking watch service, alarm response services and a vacant property surveillance service. If you need any of these services for your commercial business over the Christmas period then contact our team at Apardion today.
