Fire Safety at Christmas

Christmas Fire Safety Check list

Dodgy decorations – most offices like to get into the festive spirit by stringing a few lines of tinsel or some sparkly fairy lights across the office, especially at the Christmas party. If these are the same decorations you’ve been taking out of the store cupboard for the past 20 years then it’s time you checked out if they could be endangering your staff.

You need to double check that your fairy light wiring isn’t split and check that they conform to a British Standard in safety. You should also check fuses and make sure that one or two members of staff take responsibility for switching the lights off at the end of each day and after the office party.

Make sure your staff use common sense when it comes to office decorations. If anyone is draping tinsel across the top of computer monitors or hanging bunting from lights then check they’re not purposely planning an arson attack on your office building!

• Overloaded sockets – office fire safety (and patience) can be tested to the limit at Christmas time with staff bringing in CD players, lights, singing Santas and pretty much any Christmas related electrical device you can think of. All these gadgets need electrical sockets and if your sockets are powering the usual PCs, printers and monitors, then adding all these electrical devices could overload sockets. Make sure you invest in some extra extension sockets to cover the demand and make sure all switches are turned off at the end of the Christmas party.

• Cigarettes and alcohol – for some people these two go hand in hand at any celebration but after a hard year at the office, your team will be more inclined to let their hair down, especially if the company’s paying! All office buildings should be a smoke free zone so make sure that even after a few drinks, your staff are aware that smoking inside won’t be tolerated. Alcohol can make even seasoned drinkers absent minded to say the least so if you spot anyone well on their way to becoming inebriated, ask one of their friends to look out for them. Better still, have your office party in the early evening and then people should start filtering out before anyone drinks too much.

• Office fire alarm – your office should be kitted out with a comprehensive office fire alarm system to keep your staff safe. If your system needs updating or if you want to install a completely new one then contact FIRECREST UK LTD and ask about our conventional office fire alarm systems. Conventional fire systems are the entry level for most fire system requirements and are ideal for small offices. By having an office fire alarm you will know that if anything was to go wrong, your staff will be alerted quickly and have time to exit the building safely.

• Office fire safety – regardless of the time of year, your staff need to be aware of the office fire safety drill and what to do in case of an emergency. If you’re unsure of how effective your office fire safety plan is then contact FIRECREST. We offer Fire Risk Assessment packages suitable for your building to make sure your office fire safety plan complies with regulations.

While you’re planning your Christmas party this year, take the time to follow the check list above so you and your staff can enjoy the festivities safely.

If you’d like any more information about Christmas fire safety or office fire safety then please visit Fire Risk Assessment UK.

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