For most businesses fire safety remains on the back burner with very few procedures and policies in place to protect staff and commercial properties.
In 2019 there was a total of 5,059 claims for fire damage to commercial properties in Australia resulting in $469 million in losses.
However, while fire can inflict considerable losses to infrastructure, income, productivity, and inventory, fire safety isn’t always at the forefront of business planning.
Brooks Australia is urging businesses across the country to be up to date with their fire safety plans and prevention measures including adequate serviced and functional fire alarm systems.
Businesses are also recommended to provide staff with adequate training to memorise the emergency evacuation plan and have fire equipment installed for specific fire risks.
Brooks Australia CEO, Cathy Brand, said the most significant element of fire safety training is prevention.
“Fire safety training isn’t usually high on the priority list of businesses as they believe that the risk is low or that it won’t happen to them, but nobody is immune from fire,” she said.
“What most businesses don’t recognise is that fire affects every major aspect of their organisation from property and stock damage, the loss of revenue and cost to repair damages to the inability to operate and employees unable to work.
“If employees throughout the building are adequately prepared to prevent fires from the beginning, they are going to be able to reduce the total risk of a fire from ever starting.”
It is important for staff to maintain a clean workspace and wiring, avoiding circuit overloads, keeping machinery clean and dry, and preventing faulty wiring or exposed wires.
Brooks Australia systems manager, Jason Lohf, said one of the best investments businesses can make is ensuring there are working smoke detectors.
“Smoke detectors are compulsory in all Australian businesses under the Australian Standard and must be installed within 5 metres from the wall and within 10 metres from each other,” Lohf said.
“Ensuring that smoke detectors are maintained can save lives with regular testing and cleaning of the devices should be part of any business's safety protocol."