Fire Safety at Work: What Your Employees Need to Know
How often do you talk about fire protection with your employees? Not often, right?
You’re not alone — and it’s easy to see why fire protection isn’t part of everyday conversation. After all, workplace fires are, fortunately, uncommon. But when they do occur, they can be devastating.
At Eversafe Fire Protection, we believe that fire awareness must become a natural part of every working environment. That’s why we’re sharing a few things that all employees should know about fire safety.
What Do Your Employees Need to Know?
There are some obvious basics relating to personal safety that every employee should know: which routes to use for evacuation, where to assemble, and what their role is in the event of a fire. However, there are also important points about reducing risk and minimising damage that are just as vital. Here are our top five considerations: Your fire wardens should lead on this.
1. Primary Risks
Employees should understand the fire risks within their working environment. There are three key factors to consider:
- Ignition sources: open flames, heaters, cigarettes, cooking appliances, and anything that generates heat.
- Fuel sources: materials such as fabrics, wood, paper, plastics, packaging, furniture, or waste.
- Oxygen sources: air conditioning, oxygen canisters, and even the air around us.
It’s also useful to understand the most common causes of workplace fires. According to the London Fire Brigade, electrical faults cause nearly a third of all office fires, with lighting accounting for 14% and smoking for 11%.
2. How to Minimise Risk
Knowing the main risks is important — but knowing how to reduce them is critical. Fire risk reduction involves everyday awareness and preventative action:
- Keep heaters and other heat sources away from flammable materials.
- Practise safe behaviour in kitchen areas.
- Stay clean and organised to avoid a build-up of flammable waste.
- PAT-test any personal electrical equipment used in the office.
3. Location of Your Risk Assessment
If you employ more than five people, it’s a legal requirement to carry out a fire risk assessment and keep a written copy accessible to staff. A digital version can also help ensure everyone has access. Employees should know exactly where to find it, as it answers questions such as: Our guide to fire risk assessments and your legal requirements explains what is involved.
- What are the risks?
- What are my responsibilities?
- What’s our plan in an emergency?
Keeping this visible encourages staff to maintain and refresh their fire safety knowledge.
4. What Fire Protection Equipment Is in Place — and Where
Staff should be aware of the systems in place to reduce or control fire should an emergency occur, and they should know where each system is located. This allows quick visual checks for damage or tampering. Equipment includes smoke detectors, dry & wet risers, and sprinkler systems. Under BS EN 12845, sprinkler systems should be visually inspected every week.
5. Educate Your Workforce
Even if you don’t own the building you operate from, as an employer you are responsible for providing a safe workplace. True safety comes from teamwork — when everyone understands the importance of fire protection and takes it seriously. If some of your team now split their time between home and the office, see our guide to fire safety and hybrid working.
Do you have questions about fire safety at work? We’re here to help.
📞 Call: 01795 713123
📧 Email: info@eversafefire.com
🌐 Visit: eversafefire.com/contact-us
For the wider picture, see how common fires are in England.