Safety First

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'Safety First' by "The Bella Cullen Project"

Fire safety preventative measures within the workplace

Housekeeping

Good housekeeping will lower the chances of a fire starting, so the accumulation of combustible materials in all premises should be monitored carefully. Good housekeeping is essential to reduce the chances of escape routes and fire doors becoming blocked or obstructed.

If you generate a considerable quantity of combustible waste material then you may need to develop a formal plan to manage this effectively. In higher risk areas you need to make sure arrangements are in place for close down, e.g. checking all appliances are turned off and combustible waste has been removed.

Storage

Many of the materials found on your premises will be combustible. If your premises have inadequate or poorly managed storage areas then the risk of fire is likely to be increased, the more combustible materials you store the greater the source of fuel for a fire. Poorly arranged storage could prevent equipment such as fire sprinklers working effectively.

fire hazard. Such readily available flammable material makes the potential effect of arson more serious.

To reduce the risk, store excess materials and stock in a dedicated storage area, storeroom or cupboard. Do not store excess stock in areas where the public would normally have access. Do not pile combustible materials against electrical heaters or equipment, even if turned off for the summer, and do not allow smoking in areas where combustible materials are stored.

Dangerous substances: Display, storage and use

Specific precautions are required when handling and storing dangerous substances to minimise the possibility of an incident. Your supplier should be able to provide you with detailed advice on safe storage and handling, however, the following principles will help you reduce the risk from fire:

• Substitute highly flammable substances and materials with less flammable ones.
• Correctly store dangerous substances, e.g in a fire resistant enclosure. All flammable liquids and gases should be locked away, especially when the premises are un-occupied, to reduce the chance of them being used in an arson attack.
• Reduce the quantity of dangerous substances to the smallest reasonable amount necessary for running the business or organisation.
• Ensure that you and your employees are aware of the fire risk the dangerous substances present and the precautions necessary to avoid danger.

Additional general fire precautions may be needed to take account of the additional risks that may be posed by the storage and use of these substances. Certain substances are by their nature, highly flammable, oxidising or potentially explosive. These substances are controlled by other legislation in addition to fire safety law, in particular the dangerous substances and explosives atmospheres regulations 2002.

Flammable liquids

Highly flammable liquids present a particularly high fire risk, for example, a leak from a container of flammable solvents, such as methylated spirit, will produce large quantities of heavier than air flammable vapours. These can travel long distances, increasing the likelihood of them reaching a source of ignition well away from the original leak, such as a basement containing heavy plant and/or electrical equipment on automatic timers.

The risk is reduced by ensuring the storage and use of highly flammable liquids is carefully managed, that materials contaminated with solvent are properly disposed of and when not in use, they are safely stored. Up to 50 litres may be stored in a fire resistant cabinet or bin that will contain any leaks.

In retail premises the quantity of flammable liquids on display should be kept to the minimum to meet business needs. There should be no potential ignition sources in areas where flammable liquids are used or stored and flammable concentrations may be present. Any electrical equipment used in these areas, including fire alarm and emergency lighting systems, needs to be suitable for use in flammable atmospheres. In such situations it is recommended you seek advice from a competent person.

About the Author

Cherwell Fire Safety are fire safety specialists providing a complete range of fire safety products and services including fire warden training, fire risk assessments, fire extinguisher service & maintenance, fire alarms and emergency lighting systems.

Safety First

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prop 19 PUBLIC SAFETY FIRST group?

is public safety first still an active interest group.. (is it even an interest group?) or was the group only put on during prop 19 to allow companies against prop 19 to donate money to put up stuff against the proposition? and did they get money from normal individuals and allow them to become a member of the group or did they receive so much money they didnt need to collect donations.

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