Fire Industry News for September 2025

It’s important for any building, especially one that people are coming in and out of often, to take preventative measures with a fire risk assessment. When putting together a fire risk assessment, a ‘one size fits all’ approach won’t do. Churches tend to be much older than general buildings with unique architecture, which could affect fire safety and bring about fire hazards that are church-specific. It’s not just the buildings themselves that are at risk; sometim...

As more businesses prepare to return to the workplace, business pioneers are showing growing concerns for complacency in response to false fire alarms. Fire specialists JLA carried out research as part of their ‘False fire alarms’ campaign, finding that business owners worry that employees become used to false fire alarms, resulting in a minimized urgency in response to a real fire. Employee interest in fire safety The lacklustre attitude towards fire safety is concerning for busi...

Under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 there is a requirement placed on the “Responsible Person” to carry out a fire risk assessment – to identify any possible risks, to reduce or remove those risks and to implement any precautions necessary to ensure that persons on the premises could be alerted and would be able to escape safely in the event of a fire occurring. In doing this users will drastically reduce the chance of their restaurant being affected. Fire ri...

The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 requires that a fire risk assessment is kept up to date and redone if there are any kind of significant changes within the workplace. So while there is no law that specifies exactly how often a building must have a fire risk assessment, there is guidance outlined. The New Year is a great time to review the existing fire safety. The new year signals a new start, and if the business is usually a little slow throughout January, it’s the ideal ti...

The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 sets out the regulations governing the use of fire extinguishers in commercial buildings across England and Wales. According to BS 5306, the owner of a commercial premises should install at least two ‘Class A’ fire extinguishers as a minimum on every floor of their building. But having fire extinguishers in a commercial premises isn’t enough. Users also have to make sure they’re serviced, so that they continue to be in good...

Fire suppression systems are used to extinguish, control, or, in some cases, entirely prevent fires from spreading or occurring. They are an integral part of any fire protection infrastructure.  A fire suppression system is classified as an active fire protection system. This means it’s made up of engineered units that are built to extinguish fires through the application of a substance. These substances could be water, foam, or chemical compounds.  How does a fire suppression...

Passive fire protection (PFP) refers to products installed in a building to improve its fire safety rating. The products may be part of the initial makeup of the building, or they can be added post-construction to enhance the structure’s fire performance. The point of this type of protection is to keep people safe and to limit fire damage to the building’s structure and its contents. This is done by restricting the spread of fire and smoke, and shielding escape routes long enough fo...

Fire safety is essential in all commercial buildings, but is incredibly important within care homes. Care homes present unique challenges and the consequences of getting fire safety wrong can be fatal. Additionally, fire safety failings may result in a care home being rated “inadequate” by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) and may even result in personal prosecution. Regulatory Reform Order The Order places responsibilities on anyone with an involvement in fire safety in care home...

Conducting regular fire risk assessments are important for keeping the employees and property safe. Carrying out an assessment helps them identify fire risks in the business and let’s they put actions in place to help mitigate those risks.  Fire risk assessments are also a legal requirement, and they must check the fire safety protocols regularly to stay compliant with the law. The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order states that most premises should undertake regular fire risk asse...

A major fire at the business premises can seriously affect the company and its profits. Over 70% of businesses that experience a fire either do not reopen or fail within 3 years of the fire happening. It goes without saying that fire has a devastating effect on everything it touches, so it’s vitally important that businesses take all the necessary steps to stop fires from occurring. When they’re thinking about the business's fire protection measures, it helps to divide them into two...

Portfolio managers have to keep a lot of plates spinning when they’re doing property portfolio management on commercial or residential properties. When they’ve got multiple dwellings or offices spread over a number of postcodes, it can be tricky keeping track of what’s happening with each one.  This can lead to standards slipping in the portfolio and, before they know it, they can have several properties failing to meet compliance guidelines set by the UK government....

Did they remember to schedule that fire risk assessment? They’re sure they did, but they’re just not 100%. They’ll have to pull out the “Excel spreadsheet of doom” and find the fire risk assessment tab. Not the quickest task to do at 4:30 pm on a Friday. Managing the fire risk assessments when they run a large property portfolio can be a headache. Tools like Excel and Google Calendar can help, but they’re not really fit for purpose, certainly once they start...

Managing a large property portfolio can feel like spinning plates. Even with a team around them: juggling tenant problems, arranging flat viewings and keeping on top of admin work can leave them with little time to think about anything else.  Completing fire risk assessments on the properties is another headache to add to this list. With different properties due for assessments at different times, managing when to contact the fire risk assessor can become a whole job in itself. External c...

If they’re a busy office manager, checking the fire safety requirements for the commercial building is normally one of the last things on their mind.  With so much to think about, like constant emails and endless calls, it can be easy for regular fire safety checks to slip off the to-do list. fire safety best practices Fire safety drills have slipped to one side while they finish their quarterly reporting The hectic day-to-day, hustle and bustle of the office can mean corners are...

The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 sets out the regulations governing the use of fire extinguishers in commercial buildings across England and Wales. Pretty much every commercial business premises, with very few exceptions, must adhere to these regulations. Overview of fire extinguisher regulations Here’s a simple overview of fire extinguisher regulations across the commercial sector. How many fire extinguishers does a business need to have? Class A extinguishers are...

Many people are ready to head back to work. They’re getting back in the office following some extended time of remote working due to COVID-19. The Government has also advised that businesses start to head back to work if they are unable to work from home. However, certain procedures must be in place in order to keep staff, clients and customers completely safe. It can be a daunting thought, trying to take everything into consideration and assessing risks can often feel like navigating a m...

When it comes to choosing fire risk assessment software, there are a range of options available, and it’s essential that they choose the right solution for the organization. Choosing the right option, of course, requires careful consideration.  With this in mind, Total Fire Group has identified five key points for they to think about before making a decision on fire risk assessment software. Refine the requirements Make sure to dig a little deeper when choosing fire risk assessment...

The COVID-19 (Coronavirus) pandemic has affected each and every one of them and the way they live and work. With more people than ever working from home and staying indoors, there’s an increased level of risk in regards to fire safety. In light of this, it’s important that the fire safety procedures within living spaces, particularly blocks of flats and apartments, are reviewed. With this in mind, Total Fire Group have put together some considerations for landlords to ensur...

Fire risk assessment software has the ability to make the fire risk assessment process as efficient and seamless as possible. Specially designed to help users manage and maintain various sites and the operations at those sites. Implementing some form of fire risk assessment software has the ability to transform the way they conduct their processes. And here, Total Fire Group wanted to outline the benefits of utilizing it: It allows them to cut down on paperwork.  Having everything online,...

For those who work within the fire risk management sector, they’ll probably be aware of how lengthy fire risk management projects can be. When they and their team are having to manually allocate tasks, type up notes, print and send reports to clients upon their completion, the process can seem chaotic. Not to mention navigating the way through the mountain of paperwork they find themselves with.  Fire risk management software Developed to ensure maximum assessor efficiency...

Ensuring the building adheres to government guidelines relating to fire safety is of the utmost importance, but making sure the employees know what to do in the event of a fire on the premises is equally important too. Fire safety training ensures that the employees know what to do in a fire emergency. And conducting it on a regular basis is not only incredibly important, but the law requires them to do it. What information do employees need to know? The workforce should know where to go...

Believe it or not, there is no law that specifies exactly how often a building must have a fire risk assessment. The only legislation applicable declares that the appointed person accountable for the safety assessment of the building must undertake a fire safety review ‘regularly’, in order to ensure it is up to date. While there is no determined law that states how often an assessment must be carried out. The government states that a site must be reviewed, if there have been substa...

With his 29 years of experience in the industry, the very own Darren Baird has been selected as a keynote speaker for Procurement for Housing (PfH) Live 2019, Europe’s largest and most inclusive housing festival. Darren’s session will be from 14:00-14:30 on Wednesday, 26th June, and the focus of the discussion will be: Fire Risk Management – What is the organizational risk? Fire risk assessments This will look at the fire risk management cycle and, in particular, the difficu...

With so many people passing through a hospitality company’s doors each day, fire safety plays an important role in managing the business. The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 dictates that fire risks must be assessed and action must be taken to prevent issues arising. Here are just a few tips to help users ensure their business is compliant with the law and that people are safe. Fire risk assessment A fire risk assessment plays a fundamental part in any fire safety plan, so it...

A fire starting in the home or workplace is something no one likes to think about, and Total Fire Group hopes users will never have to go through this experience. However, fires do happen, and users may be tempted to take certain actions, which could possibly put users or others at more risk. They might seem like a good idea at the time, but there are certain things that users should never do in a fire. Total Fire Group listed 5 of them here. Retrieving something valuable A fire can sprea...

Electricity plays such an important role in people's lives that it’s easy to forget how powerful and dangerous it can be. Each year, more than half of accidental domestic fires in the UK are caused by electricity. Usually, this is the result of misused products or faults. Even the electrical items people use on a daily basis, such as toasters and hair dryers, can cause risks if used incorrectly or if a manufacturing fault arises. Electrical safety For this reason, it’s wise to ta...

Christmas trees, festive decorations, and candles can be beautiful additions to a home, but if they’re not used safely, they can quickly turn into destructive fire hazards. It’s surprising just how quickly a Christmas tree can catch alight and spread flames across a room. With that in mind, here are a few tips to reduce the risk of fire this Christmas. It’s common knowledge that candles should never be left unattended, but many people don’t consider the dangers of placin...

The organizers of Fire Door Safety Week say that this year’s campaign was the most successful yet, winning the support of more than 350 individuals, organizations, and businesses while reaching millions via press coverage and social media. Designed to draw attention to the widespread neglect and misuse of fire doors, the campaign is an annual event run by the British Woodworking Federation (BWF), Fire Door Alliance, and Fire Door Inspection Scheme in partnership with the Home Office&rsquo...

With coursework, exams, and nights out to think about, fire safety can fall pretty low on the average student’s list of priorities. But with data showing that those living in rented or shared accommodation are seven times more likely to have a fire, it’s important that both landlords and students take the necessary steps to minimize the risk. Mentioned below are just a few ways to improve fire safety in student accommodation. Landlords’ responsibilities Landlords have a le...

September is an integral month for fire safety because of Chimney Fire Safety Week. Held from September 3rd to September 9th, the campaign aims to raise awareness of chimney fires and encourages people to stop them from happening. September is a time for growing darkness and drops in temperature. People are more likely to light the hearths in their homes. In order to raise awareness for Chimney Fire Safety Week, Total Fire Group is giving tips on how to prevent a chimney fire. Build a small...