The Importance of Fire Drills in the Workplace

Depending on the time of year a fire drill is either an uncomfortable nuisance or a refreshing break from the drudgery of work.

What should never be underestimated about fire drills, however, is how important they are – they protect your building, your staff and your customers.

It is a very quick procedure to introduce into your working day if you haven’t already, but in case you were wondering why it’s so important we have compiled a few reasons to convince you.

Preparation

Your staff might moan and grumble when the fire alarm goes off if the weather is poor, but it’s all for their own benefit. It keeps them safe by making sure they know the quickest, safest route out of any building in which they might find themselves. You can also remind them about rules such as not stopping to get coats and bags, not dawdling and not using lifts or escalators.

A drill doesn’t have to be done every day but regular tests will increase awareness of the fire alarms and the procedures. Imagine being new to the company and never hearing the alarm – once it does goes off in a real fire it might be a confusing and stressful time for anyone who doesn’t know where to go or what to do.

System checks

Over time, the alarm system in any building could become faulty. This can happen for a number of reasons: perhaps the system is old or maintenance work accidentally cuts it out; perhaps someone purposely breaks it. Whatever the reason, you will always be certain that the system works if you carry out regular fire drills.

Any weak points in the system can be identified and fixed while you and your staff can have the peace of mind in knowing that if there is a fire than you will be notified well in advance. Doing these drills will also familiarise all people in the building of what the alarm sounds like, giving an added advantage for when there is a real fire.

Fulfilling legal obligations

As an employer you are legally obligated to ensure that regular fire drills are being carried out for health and safety reasons. Whether you take charge of the procedure yourself or appoint someone else in charge of fire drills they must be carried out during working hours. You are of course also legally obligated to have a warning system fitted and to have an evacuation plan arranged which should be shown to new staff on the commencement of employment.

Make a note of each drill carried out and of any system faults or bad behaviour on the part of staff. Logging these incidents will allow you to prove that you are fulfilling your duties as well as helping you to improve the reactions and behaviour of staff during drills.

The key to providing proper and comprehensive fire drills lies in the training of your staff. To find out more about health and safety training – including fire safety – and how it can benefit you and your team, then contact us at Euro 1 Training today – we provide premier training courses to ensure you are protected and prepared for both the prevention and procedure when it comes to fire safety in your building.