Does Your Small Business Need a Fire Warden?
Clearly, a large business with correspondingly large premises and multiple employees needs a comprehensive fire safety plan. But does a small business with just a couple of staff members need a fire safety plan? In a word—yes. Although it might be small in scale, there needs to be a decisive contingency plan so that everyone knows what they must do in the event of a fire, and there must be someone responsible for implementing such a plan.
Details Matter
A fair amount of common sense comes into play if a fire should strike, and this doesn't matter if it's at a residential home or a commercial property. Everyone should quickly and calmly evacuate, but this approach is simply too light on details to rely upon. Details matter, and they can even determine the difference between life and death, as dramatic as that might sound. These details should be determined by your business's fire warden.
An Appropriate Evacuation Plan
A fire warden is simply a member of staff (or even yourself, as the owner of the business). It's their responsibility to implement an appropriate evacuation plan, ensure that all employees are familiar with said plan (with periodic evacuation drills), and to essentially make sure that no one is left behind—while not putting themselves in harm's way.
Training Is Essential
It's not the fire warden's responsibility to come up with a valid fire safety plan of their own accord. Fire warden training is essential to help the designated staff member understand the requirements of the role, while also giving them the knowledge and skills that can be applied in their workplace. The fire warden should, at a minimum, liaise with management to determine the best evacuation route for all sections of your physical premises, and to choose an appropriate meeting point.
In the Event of Fire
In addition to the basic formulation of an evacuation plan, a fire warden should have an overview of staffing on any given day, so they know who is physically on the premises, and as such, who should be making their way to the meeting point in the event of an evacuation. Although a fire warden should not under any circumstances be making their way back into an active fire, they should be the last to exit the premises during an evacuation. If it's safe to do so, they should also sweep the premises, making their way through to ensure that everyone has heeded the call to evacuate.
Even though it might not be a legal requirement in your state or territory to appoint a fire warden, it's an important precautionary measure. While your premises might never be threatened by fire, having a fire warden adds a framework for the safe evacuation of your property. Buildings and the items inside those buildings can be replaced, but people cannot. If your small business doesn't already have a fire warden, it's time to have a chat to your staff about who wants to step up and take on the role. Contact a company that offers fire warden training programs to learn more.
