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The hybrid work model of businesses allows employees to split their time between the office and the home. Though this work model brings advantages, there are still unique challenges in maintaining effective fire safety.
As hybrid working practices are rising and buildings are partly occupied, monitoring systems for fire safety and balancing fire safety in the workplace are necessary.
Rethink of the potential fire risks
Increased hybrid working scenarios may impact buildings as they will be underutilised. If you have recently made any alterations to the building layout, it is important to perform a new fire risk assessment since the revised layout may breach fire regulations.
Less occupied buildings mean it is easier for fire to break out. A risk assessment should include:
Identifying potential fire risks- Evaluating their severity
- Deploying measures to eliminate risks
Fire wardens
Ensuring that the workplace contains a fire warden responsible for visually inspecting fire equipment, ensuring people know what to do during an emergency, and ensuring a safe evacuation is highly important.
A considerable number of trained fire wardens must be present on-site to cope with new working arrangements effectively.
Create an Emergency Action Plan (EAP)
Make sure to develop an emergency action plan that is crafted based on your new working model. This plan should contain:
- Safe evacuation procedures
- Designated assembly points
- Positioning of fire safety equipment such as fire extinguishers, smoke alarms, and sprinkler systems
- Emergency contact numbers
Fire alarm testing and practices
Employers are legally committed to ensuring the performing of regular fire drills. In hybrid working, some staff may miss out on fire safety training, and this may lead to a sign of risk for a fire break out.
Employers should ensure that a skilled person with up-to-date fire safety training regularly carries out the necessary checks for alarm sounders.
As safety is very important to the staff, any workplace system should be designed with safety as a top priority. If you are implementing a new hybrid working policy, make sure that you upgrade the system to ensure fire safety.
