Coventry, a city at the forefront of education and business, has recently grappled with a series of devastating fires. Coventry has an innovative manufacturing sector and as the economy evolves, the city has become home to numerous specialist manufacturing, design and service businesses. These include firms serving the car industry, motor racing, aerospace and many other traditional and technological sectors. In addition to the city’s commercial base, the city is a hub for educational excellence with two universities, multiple colleges and a range of both state academies and private schools. Coventry City is undergoing ongoing investment in infrastructure, property construction and the public sector. It is also a hot bed for new businesses starting out and growing into SMEs. With this thriving background of opportunity and excellence, it is vital to protect the people involved with such organisations from the hazards of fire and explosions.
How to Protect Your Organisation from Fire?
In order to protect your team and those involved with your business from fire, you must carry out a fire risk assessment and review it at least annually. This is required by law. The person carrying out the fire risk assessment must be competent to do so, which means they must be suitably trained and experienced to assess the risk of fire. The findings of the fire risk assessment must then be recorded and actioned.
During the fire risk assessment, the assessor will review your building, your safety procedures, ensure you have suitable fire detection and alarm systems in place, and review your testing and record keeping. This process will help your organisation to be protected from the risk of fire. One recommendation, which may arise from the FRA, would be for your organisation to carry out a DSEAR assessment. This is to ensure risks from dangerous substances and explosive atmospheres are suitably managed.
These are services JCH Safety provides. We are expert fire risk assessors and DSEAR risk assessors.
A Fire Won’t Happen To Us, Will It?
In the year ending September 2023 there were 143,625 fires in England alone. Coventry and Warwickshire had their own share of blazes. One example of a recent major fire was the inferno that occurred at Oliver Way, Coventry. On March 5, 2023, a massive fire erupted at the two-story office building and warehouse located there. The blaze consumed the structure. It took more than 70 firefighters to tackle the blaze. The fire caused massive structural damage. Another example of a major fire in Coventry occured at the derelict Allesley Hotel in Coventry. This occured in February 2024 and took more than 50 firefighters to extinguish the blaze and 12 engines. These two incidents alone, demonstrate that major fires do occur in Coventry. Other recent fire incidents include HGV fires, house fires and arson attacks. As for examples of fires in Warwickshire, on the 14th March 2024, a fire broke out in a factory on Whitacre Road Industrial Estate, Nuneaton. This was caused by a paint box being alight inside a commercial oven. As you can see, fire is a real risk.
What You Should Do?
To protect your business and team from the risk of fire make sure you have good fire safety procedures in place. Carry out regular fire risk assessments and DSEAR assessments. Carry out regular fire drills and test your fire safety systems, such as fire alarm regularly. Make sure your team are sufficiently trained. They should have regular fire marshal and basic fire awareness training (link to training). Make sure to secure your premises properly, install CCTV and keep your sites well lit. By working with a competent fire risk assessor, you will benefit from their specialist knowledge which will help protect your organisation from fire.
JCH Safety provide Fire Risk Assessments and DSEAR assessments across Coventry and Warwickshire.
For a free quote, please do not hesitate to get in touch.