As a business owner, it is your responsibility to ensure that all of your business premises are safe for both your customers and employees. This includes ensuring your buildings are protected against fire risks, and a fire risk assessment for business in Scotland must be completed.
It is vital that you do everything you can to reduce the risk of fire and to keep people safe within your organisation. A fire risk assessment for business in Scotland is a legal duty. It will not only potentially save lives but also makes good business sense.
What is a fire risk assessment for business in Scotland?
A fire risk assessment is a thorough evaluation of your business and buildings, focused on how best to protect your staff and customers from the dangers of fire. A fire risk assessment for business in Scotland follows a five-step process:
- Identifying the people who are at risk of fire, including all employees and customers. At this stage, we also assess an individual’s capability to escape the building in the event of a fire. Remembering, less abled people face a bigger risk.
- Identifying any hazards on the premises that could be possible sources of ignition. By reducing these sources and materials that could come into contact will reduce the risk of a fire breaking out.
- Evaluating the fire risks and assessing the existing fire safety measures that are in place. Risk Reduction Principles will be used to ensure that all fire risks are minimised or avoided.
- Recording the fire assessment information as required by law. It is a requirement that fire risk assessment for business in Scotland and measures that have been implemented are recorded.
- Reviewing the fire risk assessment regularly, either because time has elapsed since the last assessment. Alternatively, because a structural change has been made to your premises.