If you are responsible for a school, retail and distribution warehouse or catering premises, your business is at higher risk than others. You can help prevent your business becoming another arson statistic by adopting a few simple precautions.
10 Tips for Arson Prevention
- Review your overall fire risk assessment and make sure it considers potential for arson. Ensure fire equipment such as alarms, extinguishers, detectors and sprinklers is maintained and protected against sabotage.
- Encourage staff to challenge visitors and report suspicious behaviour. Train them to be security conscious and be aware of their contribution to arson prevention.
- Maintain the building fabric in good repair and seal gaps beneath external doors.
- Limit quantities of flammable substances or LPG on site and keep them locked away at all times.
- Ensure that any dark recesses in your premises, e.g. inset doorways, enclosed yards, alleyways etc., are secured with a gate or door – arsonists can start fires without being seen by passers-by.
- Ensure that rubbish bins have lockable lids. If they can’t be locked, they should be stored within a secure compound or chained to an immovable object at least six metres from any building and away from overhanging roofs. The same applies to skips you may use to collect rubbish.
- Choose someone to carry out checks to ensure everyone has left your premises before you lock up at the close of business. Ensure that all employees who access the building during non-standard hours are made aware of their responsibilities and your fire arrangements. Know who holds keys to the premises and chase any that are missing.
- All windows should be locked when there are no workers on site.
- Fit a metal container to the inside of your letterbox to contain fire started by lit materials which may be posted.
- Don’t forget to reduce subsequent losses and disruption from a fire by preparing a disaster recovery and business continuity plan.
Arson is now one of the UK’s fastest-growing crimes. Don’t let it happen to your business – take action now.
Contact us should you require advice.
