Fire Safety: Reopening safely after lockdown

Fire Risk Assessment

• Is your Fire Risk Assessment up to date?
• Is all your fire safety documentation up to date?
• Have you factored in COVID-secure measures in your Fire Risk Assessment – like social distancing for example?
• Is your appointed fire warden still with the business, working from home or are they on furlough?
• Do you need to appoint a new fire warden?
• Have you done the necessary checks on your new fire warden to make sure they can carry out their role effectively before you reopen?
• Have all employees been familiarised with the latest Fire Risk Assessment?
• Do you need to update your evacuation procedures?
• Are all escape routes still easy to access in the event of a fire?

Emergency Light Testing 

• Will your emergency lighting system work when you need it to?
• Have you tested it, i.e. via a visual inspection and a flick test, to make sure it works properly before you reopen?
• Have you recently carried out a visual inspection to detect any damage or faults?
• Have you logged any issues or faults?
• If so, will they be actioned before you reopen?
• Are you due your annual Emergency Light Testing to comply with the British Standards?

Fire Extinguishers

• Are your fire extinguishers still located in the correct place?
• Are they still fitted properly?
• Are they the correct type?
• Are the anti-tamper seals in place?
• Do they hold charge?
• Do they need replacing?
• Have their maintenance dates expired?
• Have you booked in a Fire Extinguisher Servicing before you reopen?

Fire Alarms

• Have you checked if your fire alarm has been disconnected over the lockdown? If so, have you tested your fire detector systems to see if they’re fault free and functioning correctly?
• Has your Fire Alarm Maintenance or Smoke Alarm Maintenance been carried out to comply with the relevant British Standard?
• Will you carry out an inspection before you reopen your doors?

PAT Testing

• Is your electrical equipment up to date with its PAT Testing?
• If you’re using electrical equipment outside your café, restaurant or in your beer garden, is it Residual Current Devices (RCD) protected in case of harsh weather?
• Do you plan on carrying out a visual inspection on your electrical equipment to check for wear and tear before you open?

Fixed Wire Testing

• Is your Electrical Condition Inspection Report (EICR) still in date?
• If your EICR has expired, have you checked your insurance is still valid?

Training

• Are all your employees up to date with their fire and electrical safety training?
• Are all your fire and electrical safety documents up to date?