Fire safety and protection in factories

The nature of fire safety and protection factories means they are prone to having a high risk of fire hazards. Factory fires can occur from unforeseen problems, such as human error or faulty equipment. The level of danger of factory fires can increase or decrease due to; the category of work being done on the premises, the number of employees in the factory, and the time of day the work is carried out. Below are some examples of frequent fire hazard problems, and a way to counteract these problems:

Machinery substances

Factory machinery may contain flammable substances. In the situation of machinery catching fire, the frequent problem may have arisen from the unauthorised fixing of machinery from workers, operator’s error or lack of care of the machinery.

This can be prevented with strict procedures and training for employees to help minimise factory fires, which lowers the risk of a potential fire break-out.

Storerooms

Overloaded storerooms are another hazard. A big number of flammable products stored in the factory are often stored in cupboards or storerooms. If these storage rooms aren’t regularly checked, maintained and organised, there will be an increased potential risk of a large radius factory fire.

This situation can be counteracted with the installation of smoke/fire detectors in these storerooms, so if a fire were to occur, it could be contained for the fire protection of the factory. In addition, strict procedures and training for workers in the factory can heighten fire safety and protection.

Tea rooms/kitchen

Equipment provided for tea rooms and kitchens in the factory can affect fire risk level, primarily unattended cookery equipment. Kitchens and dining facilities are high fire hazard risk. The risk can be minimised with specified training all the time for workers in the factory. If a fire was to occur in this area, having the correct fire suppression can allow workers to eliminate the danger.

Staff working in the factory should also get the correct fire safety and protection training. Having the correct fire protection equipment may be good. However, during emergencies, they will be ineffective without the staff knowing what to do. This can create easily containable fires, quickly becoming an unnecessary fire hazard. During fire safety training, staff should spend time practicing fire procedures to stop fires occurring and highlight simple fire precautions.

Fire assessments

A fire risk assessment is mandatory for your factory. This assessment can point out specific areas of fire safety and protection for your factory, whilst ensuring the appropriate systems are fixed in the right areas.

To learn more about getting your factory or workplace safe for your workforce, click here, or you can get in touch on 01606 558727.