Warehouse fires can be catastrophic and cost owners their entire business, and also result in loss of product, machinery, and potentially lives. Ensure you have adequate fire safety on site with Hispec solutions.
Earlier this month, a self-storage warehouse was ablaze in Suffolk, up to ten fire crews worked during the early hours of the morning to tackle the fire to prevent it spreading to other units on the industrial estate. Despite fast attendance by the fire rescue team, unfortunately the damage caused by the fire was significant and the storage facilities customers lost their belongings.
Warehouse and unit fires can be catastrophic and cost owners their entire business, loss of product, machinery, and potentially lives. Ensure you have adequate fire safety on site with these safety tips and preventive measures:
PAT Testing
(Portable Appliance Testing) is the examination of electrical appliances and equipment to ensure they are safe for use. It is a legal requirement for a business to keep their equipment well maintained to keep their staff safe. Although PAT is not a legal requirement, it is one of the most popular ways for organisations to comply with the “Electricity at Work Regulation 1989”. Electrical equipment in a warehouse tends to be industrial sized and therefore more of a risk, so ensure you maintain your electrical equipment regularly.
Tidy environment
Cluttered aisles and areas within a warehouse can be a major safety hazard. Not only can it be a nightmare for inventory control but can block potential emergency exits, making it harder for individuals to evacuate in an emergency. It can cause injuries to workers such as trips and falls and also be a fire hazard especially if flammable items are grouped together in large quantitities. Ensure you fix this problem and maintain a clean and mess free warehouse.
Fire Extinguishers
Fire extinguishers can reduce the risk of small fires developing into a larger one. Employees should be trained on the use of fire extinguishers and relevant signage should indicate where they can be found on site.
Sprinklers
As it stands, sprinklers are only legally required in UK warehouses larger than 20,000m2. Although sprinklers are likely to harm stock due to water-damage, they ultimately can prevent further damage to a building which can be more costly to repair. There is clear evidence that sprinklers can be effective in stopping fires from further spreading and also extinguishing the fire.
Fire-detection and warning systems
Although a fire can be obvious in some cases, in larger warehouses a fire may start and go un-detected especially if the warehouse does not have a reliable fire system. An interconnected fire system ensures quick detection and response to fire. Here at Hispec we have an innovative commercial fire alarm solution. Our 2CAS fire alarm panel supports up to fifteen soft-addressable devices allowing the user to connect detectors, call points, interfaces and sounders on the same loop. With a built-in event log, fire incident investigation and compliance reporting be relieved that your warehouse fire system is reliable and has scalable protection.
Emergency Lighting
It is a Legal requirement for employers and building owners to have emergency lighting in their building to facilitate the evacuation of people during an emergency. There should be a fire exit sign above every exit and must be illuminated by a reliable external light source. Emergency lighting is a more suitable option as it stays illuminated even during a power outage – which is a necessary as sometimes warehouses can have low lighting due to an absence of windows. Hispec’s emergency lighting solutions are designed to ensure safety, compliance, and reliable performance even during power outages. From escape routes to open areas, our range supports a wide variety of applications with energy efficient, and easy to maintain designs.
Warehouse fires can be devastating, but prevention saves businesses and lives. Hispec’s fire safety solutions provide the protection you need. Check out our fulll range of Commercial Fire Detection.