Each year more than 200 people are killed and more than one million injured in accidents at work. In many cases these accidents could have been avoided through proper training and better health and safety provision, and the savings made by cutting back on such provisions can end up costing a business far more in the long run.
Failing to invest the time and money needed to adequately train staff proved to be an expensive mistake for businessman James Hill, a former candidate on the BBC show The Apprentice, who recently pleaded guilty to breaching health and safety regulations at his Chesterfield club, Havana Whites.
Naked flame
Hill was ordered to pay almost £6,000 after a customer at the club suffered serious burns when his shirt was set alight by a naked flame on the bar. The breach was especially serious as staff had been warned not to leave naked flames on the bar during an earlier visit by the council’s health and safety officer.
The cost of such incidents can be more than just financial. Accidents are highly stressful for staff and customers alike, the overall effect can be highly demotivating, and the loss of reputation that can result from such an event can be impossible to recover from. Ensuring that staff are fully trained in fire safety and are fully aware of all the appropriate health and safety guidelines is the best way to ensure that your business continues to thrive. It will be important for everyone to make sure that a Fire risk assessment Bristol company comes in survey any potential risks that may be present which can be found at sites like http://keloscape.co.uk/fire-risk-assessment.
Fire protection
Sprinkler systems are a hugely effective form of fire control; however, it is not always possible to fit them retrospectively. Automist systems are an alternative to traditional sprinklers and can be fitted to a sink unit or in place of a wall socket. Automist provides a fine mist-like water spray that has excellent fire suppression capabilities in rooms of up to 32 square metres. Automist systems and a range of other fire protection solutions are available.
Although staff should always receive the correct amount of training necessary to ensure their own safety and that of their customers, the use of automated systems adds an extra level of protection that cannot be compromised by human error. The other key element is to ensure that any fire safety equipment is appropriate to the premises.