Northamptonshire businesses given fire safety advice ahead of latest strike

Fire service strikes have certainly gained unfortunate prominence in the national news headlines in recent weeks and months, as has proved the case in Northamptonshire, following the announcement of the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) of their intention to take further strike action, amid their ongoing national dispute with the government. Triple Star Fire (http://www.triplestarfire.com) can therefore only agree with Northamptonshire County Council's encouragement to local businesses to ensure the fitness for purpose of their fire safety procedures, including that they have the most up to date fire safety equipment.

Although contingency plans were put in place by Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue Service to minimise disruption caused by the latest strike, which lasted between 10:00 and 14:00 hours on Wednesday 13th November, it is nonetheless always a good idea for a conscientious business to keep an eye on its fire safety measures - including carrying out any fire equipment maintenance that may be required. This is despite the service having spent several months, including in partnership with neighbouring authorities, ensuring its ability to promptly respond to any emergencies that did occur during the strike period.

To help businesses to prepare themselves in the event of a fire or similar emergency incident, the service outlined six simple steps that they could take. These included reviewing their FireRisk Assessment (FRA) to ensure that it was up to date and incorporated all of the fire risks within their business premises. Companies were also urged to make sure that their staff training was up to date, including in the use of fire extinguishers, as well as ensure the good working order of their fire alarms and emergency lighting.

The service also said that all of a firm's employees should be trained in emergency procedures, suggesting that a fire drill should be carried out remind staff of procedures, as well as evaluation procedures practiced. Other advice from the service for Northamptonshire businesses included to carry out a hazard spotting assessment inside and outside of any business premises, alongside the practicable removal or reduction of any possible sources of ignition. Companies in the region were also urged to reduce the amount of flammable materials that they stored or used in their premises, in addition to making sure that what was left was stored in a lockable fire resisting store.

Mark Ainge, Head of Community Services, said that by preparing themselves for an emergency, businesses could not only minimise any disruption resulting from a fire, but also quickly get back up and running. That are words that we can only firmly agree with here at Triple Star Fire (http://www.triplestarfire.com), as we continue to provide a wide range of organisations with the fire products and services that they require over the coming weeks and months - from fire extinguishersfor business to the highest standard of fire alarm maintenance.

Editor’s Note: Triple Star Fire (http://www.triplestarfire.com) are represented by the search engine advertising and digital marketing specialists Jumping Spider Media. Email: info@jumpingspidermedia.co.uk or call: +44 (0)20 3070 1959 / +34 952 783 637.