Implementing effective fire safety is not just important for large scale businesses, it’s vital for all. A small business is just as susceptible to a possible fire outbreak than any other business.
If you’re the owner of a small business in Australia and you haven’t thought about fire safety, this article will help you understand why it’s important to have a fire safety plan. With the help of a certified fire protection specialist, this can be achieved and you and everyone involved in your business will have peace of mind.
You Have a Duty of Care To Your Employees and Customers
Fire safety is all about protecting and saving lives. Whether you work for yourself, with your partner or family or with a small staff, as part of your duty of care, you need to ensure everyone involved in the business is protected.
This notion even goes as far as your customers or clients. While the possibility of a fire is not always front of mind, fire safety is an important and essential part of operating any business.
Your Insurance May Not Cover You In the Event Of a Fire
Having insurance is a safeguard for any business owner. Should something catastrophic occur, if all is in order, your insurance company will cover some or all of the damages.
However, just about every Aussie insurance provider is going to have clauses and stipulations in the paperwork with requirements that you have to adhere to. While your insurance company may state that they cover you against fire, it might come with a clause that they’ll only give you cover if effective fire safety and prevention measures are in place.
It’s vital that you check with your insurance provider on this and then make sure your business premises are fully compliant.
Business Owners Must Also Be Compliant With the Law
Not only will your insurance company expect you to be fire safety compliant, but so will governing bodies. As part of the duty of care when operating a business within Australia, business owners must, by law, have certain fire safety measures in place or you risk being fined or possibly even having your operation shut down. Business owners can even risk jail time.
Stay Safe and Stay In Business
While safety in your business is the primary concern when it comes to fire prevention and protection measures, you also don’t want to risk having your business destroyed by fire, whether it’s covered by insurance or not.
When you go into business, you do so wanting to be profitable and to be in business for the long term. Something catastrophic like a fire can either put you out of business or hamper business operations for some time until an investigation into the fire is carried out and repairs are completed.
Measures You Can Take To Ensure Fire Safety
The first thing you should do when it comes to fire safety for your small business is to call in the assistance of fire protection professionals. They’ll go through and inspect your premises to see what measures you already have in place and advise you on what else is necessary to be both safe and compliant with the law. Many business owners likely won’t be fully aware of what’s required, so it’s in your best interest to seek the help of a professional fire safety service.
Your premises will need to be equipped with the appropriate number and type of smoke alarms. Fire extinguishers (and knowing how to operate them in the case of an emergency) will also be required. A variety of fire blankets are also extremely useful, either for putting out kitchen fires or for wrapping around an individual whose clothes have caught alight. Having a fire sprinkler system installed can save both lives and reduce damage to your property or the spread of a fire.
In Conclusion
All small business owners should be aware of and comply with fire safety and prevention standards. It will protect you and everyone involved in the day-to-day operation of your business.