5) Planning and Training

You can reduce the chance of injury by letting your staff know what to do if there is a fire. They need appropriate information or training. In small workplaces this can be very simple. In larger workplaces you may need to have a full emergency plan to make sure everyone can leave the building quickly and that the emergency services are called promptly.

Example - A simple plan needs only to cover how to raise the alarm, where the fire extinguishers are kept and how to get out if there is a fire.

Assistance From the Workforce and Others

If you want to appoint someone to help you to implement any fire safety measures or to co-ordinate evacuation in an emergency, your staff need to know who that person is or be able to identify them, although the overall responsibility will remain with you.

Before you appoint anyone to help you must consult your staff or their elected representatives or their appointed trade union safety representatives about what you are proposing. To help you, there is a duty on your staff to co-operate with you and not to do anything which would place themselves or others at risk.