We're still feeling the effects of COVID-19 a year on, which means many of us have made significant changes to our home and working environments. With these changes in place, it's possible that you'll need to review your fire safety protocols to make sure that your employees and your family are kept safe at all times.
Fire safety in your home
While COVID-19 lockdown restrictions are ongoing, spending an unprecedented amount of time in your house has become the new norm. Most house fires start in the kitchen, so while you might usually have your breakfast on the go and your lunch in the office cafeteria, now, you're making more of your meals at home.
We all like to think that we remember to turn the hob off after every use, but with children home from school and the added stress of at-home zoom calls, it's easy to walk away from your oven and forget. This is where a simple snack can turn into a serious incident real fast!
Here are a few steps you can take to ensure your home is protected against fires during the COVID-19 pandemic:
- Ensure that all of your fire alarms are in working order.
- Check that you have something to put out a fire should one occur, eg. a suitable fire extinguisher.
- Identify new risks & put plans in place to reduce the risk.
- Ensure that vulnerable or sick people understand what to do in the event of a fire.
- Make sure that escape routes are accessible (does your new home office have a fire escape?)
Fire safety in commercial properties
Commercial properties have really had to adapt to continue functioning during the COVID-19 pandemic, and with so many changes being made in the workplace, it's vital that fire safety procedures are reviewed and updated too.
Fire doors
We know that some premises have been propping open doors so that people walking through the building don't have to touch as many door handles. While this might seem like a perfectly acceptable idea, propping open your fire doors is incredibly dangerous.
Fire doors are designed to stop fires from spreading from one area of your building to another. Wherever possible, keep your self-closing fire doors shut.
Empty buildings
Lots of business owners have taken steps to close their premises for the time being. Whether your staff are working from home or your business has been deemed non-essential, there are a lot more empty buildings than usual.
With fewer people on-site, it's unlikely that a fire will occur, but if a fire does start it has a much better chance of spreading before someone can be there to stop it. For this reason, it's important that you have a fire safety system in place before you leave your premises empty.
Our Fire Safety Systems
Here at IDS Security, we can design, install and maintain a fire safety system in your home or commercial premises that will keep you safe through the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond.
Our team of installers has been installing fire safety systems for over 20 years, so we can provide sound advice and expertise. We also offer round-the-clock monitoring so that you have one less stress on your mind during these worrying times.
Our Fire Alarm Systems >
To find out more about our fire safety systems, or to find out more about what we can do for you during the COVID-19 pandemic, give us a call on 029 20 753 251.
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