Following the terrible incident at Grenfell Towers, the Fire Industry Association is providing fire safety advice and guidance to employers, responsible persons, and business owners at care homes, hospices, and hospitals.
Legally, if you own or are responsible for a care home, a hospice, or hospital, then you are known by law as the ‘responsible person’ and will be liable if there is a fire. You could also face a fine of up to half a million pounds or a prison sentence for breaching fire safety regulations following an inspection, even if there is no fire.
To help care home, hospice, and hospital responsible persons check that their properties are fire safe, the Fire Industry Association has a range of useful resources available, including a video to explain the necessity of using companies that are Third Party Certificated.
The video, called ‘Responsible for Fire Safety? Fire Safety Explained’, helps explain the legislation behind fire safety, as well as what steps to take to ensure that you have taken every reasonable and practicable action to prevent a fire in the premises.
The video explains the importance of choosing reputable companies that provide fire safety services – such as those that carry out fire risk assessments, as well as those that install or maintain fire alarm systems or portable fire extinguishers.
Choosing a reputable company can be difficult when employers are unaware of how to recognise one – but the video aims to clear that up. Companies that have Third Party Certification have been through an independent audit and have been awarded a certificate to show that they can demonstrate a high level of competency.
Making sure that you choose a company that has the right level of skills, knowledge, and understanding of fire safety legislation and the technical knowledge and experience to do the job that they were hired for cannot be stressed enough. Be wary of companies that offer cheap prices without any form of Third Party Certification – they may not have the necessary training needed to make the building fire safe.
Watch the video below to learn more about what steps you need to take in order to make your building safe: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eujz87MRCKo
For further advice and guidance, visit the Fire Industry Association’s website and sign up for the weekly e-newsletter.
