A recent fire has highlighted the potential fire risk from the storage of flammable materials.
Examples of such materials include cleaning products, cardboard, plastics, foam, rubber, furniture, loose packaging material, and empty cooking oil containers. Less obvious examples are flour, sugar, dust from wood, grease, and engine oil.
In this case a recently inspected and tested washing machine caught fire with the situation made worse by the proximity of combustible items.
As the tenant of non-domestic premises, in most circumstances, you are responsible for ensuring that the premises which you occupy comply with statutory requirements.
Sources of fire
Electrical hazards are the most common source of accidental fires and represent a risk of injury, damage to equipment and disruption to the use of buildings. Washing machines and tumble dryers are a significant source of fires in buildings. In the UK, the Fire Service attends over 1,000 such fires each year.
Despite electrical equipment being maintained in good condition, with regular inspection and testing, a fault may still occur and ignite surrounding combustible material.
Preventive steps
- Non-essential electrical equipment should be switched off at the socket overnight.
- Combustible materials must not be stored within one metre of an electrical distribution board or cabinet.
- Combustible material is kept clear of electrical equipment.
- Internal doors are closed at the end of the day.
- Flammable liquids or highly/extremely flammable substances should be stored outside in a secure container at a safe distance from any building or in a ventilated flammables store clear of electrical equipment or other ignition sources.
- Damaged equipment is taken out of use immediately and repaired or disposed of.
- Appliances are registered for safety repairs or recalls.
- Regular premises safety inspections.
- Fire Safety Risk Assessments.
- Regular testing of portable appliances (PAT testing)
- Hard wire testing
- Fire alarms with smoke and heat detectors.
- other means of raising an alarm in the event of fire (for example hand bell or air horn).
Useful Links
- Non-domestic fire safety - Fire and rescue - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)
- Businesses and landlords | Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (firescotland.gov.uk)
- Introduction to fire safety - HSE
- Fire and explosion - HSE
- Storage of flammable liquids - Fire and explosion (hse.gov.uk)
- Fire Alarm Systems: Firesafe.org.uk
- Introduction to electrical safety - HSE
- Maintaining portable electrical equipment (hse.gov.uk)
- Register My Appliance
- Healthy Working Lives
