Fire Extinguisher Laws and How They Affect You and Your Business
Recently new fire safety regulations have been passed which businesses both in England and Wales should have in place. however, there are still many companies who don’t even have the most basic fire precautions in place. certainly when it comes to fire extinguisher signs it is crucial that one is up to date with all the latest regulations regarding them.
It is all well and good have the best fire extinguishers that money can buy for a business premises, but won’t be much use if nobody is able to find them. so this is why installing fire extinguisher signs is so important and should be a major part of the fire safety provisions any business has in place.
It is important to note that the law states that all owners of premises are required to use safety signs. As quoted in the Health and Safety Regulations where there is significant risk to health and safety that has not been avoided or controlled by methods required under other relevant law, provided the use of a sign can help reduce the risk. in this article we take a look at what is needed with regards to fire extinguisher signs so that they conform with the British Standard Code of Practice for Safety Signs.
1. Every fire extinguisher sign should have a red background on which there are white graphics. it is these signs that will show people where the fire extinguishers and other pieces of fire fighting equipment are to be found.
2. Every sign should contain important information that is easy for people to read. the kind of information that should be on display is a symbol showing that the equipment is a fire extinguisher. then it should contain information as to what type of extinguisher it is and finally what kinds of fires it can be used to extinguish.
3.it is crucial that the signs are placed in the correct positions and not only one should be placed beside the extinguisher but also at eye level as well. however, you may need to position it at an average eye level to accommodate the varying heights of the staff that are employed.
It is also vital that the fire extinguisher signs are in places where they can be seen at all times. so never site them close to doors or say near coat racks. Instead place them at regular intervals around the premises that any member of staff can reach them easily.
Above we have looked at what a business must do in order to comply with the Health and Safety regulations in respect of Fire Extinguisher Signs. For those businesses who are unsure about placement of fire signs and equipment the local Fire Officer or a professional fire risk assessor can assist them.
