Fires happen. It’s so very easy for a business to believe that a fire ‘will not happen to them’ but without the right training and equipment, fires can and will happen, and they can tear through your entire factory in minutes, leaving you with the world’s biggest headache.

Too many factories in the UK fall victim to fires, and it can all come down to not owning basic equipment, which can make a huge difference, such as fire shutters. These are designed to prevent the fire from spreading, and they’re incredibly effective. It does, of course, depend on the model that you choose, but generally, they are constructed of steel, whilst they can be opened or closed by a key switch, or remote control. The main advantage with fire shutters is that they can be closed automatically during a test or emergency situation. With shutters installed in your factory, it will not only be safer, but much more secure too, and we’d recommend you invest in these whether you have a small, medium or large factory.

The Fire and Rescue Services in England are regularly called out to emergencies in factories, and it’s so scary to think how many casualties can occur if you do not have the correct equipment in place. Yes, these teams can, of course, respond very quickly to fires, but as we saw very recently with the Grenfell Tower, fire does spread fast and the Fire Services are not always going to be able to save each and every life when something major does go wrong. We don’t want to scare you into investing in expensive equipment that you do not need, but if you want to keep your employees safe and protect the future of your business, then you have to be prepared for such instances.

It’s no secret that too many companies refuse to conduct regular fire alarm tests, and some businesses don’t even test their fire alarms once a year. That’s a complete disregard for their employee’s safety in our eyes, and you should be holding regular fire tests throughout the year, but we advise you do at least once a month so that workers know exactly where they need to go if such a terrible event ever did unfold.

We’d like to finish on a positive note though, and there are plenty of factories in the UK which never have problems with fires, but it’s still important to make sure you have the equipment in place so you’re fully prepared and covered if such a disaster was to happen now or in the future.

Make sure you’re doing all you can to keep your employees safe, whilst protecting your equipment and your commercial property too. One minor human mistake can lead to a fire, and you not only need to have the equipment in place to deal with it but also the personnel, however, this can only be the case if you’re providing regular training for all employees working at the factory.