Retailers face heightened fire safety risks during the festive season, primarily due to increased stock levels and decorative elements.
As the Christmas period approaches, the demand for products surges, leading to larger inventory in stores. While stocking up is necessary to meet the demand, it also introduces fire hazards if not managed correctly.
Stock Management and Fire Hazards
Elevated stock levels can exacerbate fire risks in two significant ways
Elevated stock levels can exacerbate fire risks in two significant ways. Firstly, excess stock and its packaging increase the available fuel for any potential fires, and secondly, improper storage of goods can block fire exits, obscure fire equipment, or obstruct vital signage.
It's imperative for retailers to ensure safe storage practices are maintained during this busy period to prevent any mishaps.
Fire Risks from Decorations
The festive season sees retailers embellishing their stores with decorations like garlands, tinsel, and Christmas trees, which are often made from flammable materials. When combined with lights and other electrical decorations, the risk of fire can be further amplified, particularly if these items are old, overcrowded, or mismanaged.
Retailers should conduct safety checks on all lighting and electrical equipment and be cautious about the placement of combustible decorations.
Impact of Increased Footfall
The holiday season draws more shoppers into stores, heightening the chance of accidents and complicating evacuation procedures in event of a fire.
Although the increased customer activity is beneficial for sales, it necessitates a reassessment of safety protocols to ensure smooth operation and prompt responses in emergencies.
Fire Safety Training for Seasonal Staff
To manage the Christmas rush, many retailers employ seasonal staff who may lack familiarity with fire safety procedures or emergency plans. It is crucial that these employees undergo comprehensive training on health and safety protocols, with regular refreshers to mitigate risks effectively.
Comprehensive Fire Risk Assessments
Retailers are encouraged to review their fire risk assessments and emergency evacuation plans ahead of the festive season. Total Fire Group offers expertise in conducting fire risk assessments for retail environments across the UK.
Their BAFE-approved services simplify the process by utilizing bespoke web-based software, which streamlines management of risk assessments across multiple locations, enabling real-time oversight of actions and compliance.
Health and safety, and in particular, fire safety, are important for retailers all year round. However, the festive season brings with it increased risks and unique challenges that retailers should be aware of as they head into the busy Christmas period.
In anticipation of high demand and increased sales, shops will have additional stock levels to cope with the demands of shoppers. However, high stock levels can cause an increased fire risk in a number of ways.
Firstly, stock and associated packaging provide increased fuel should a fire arise. And secondly, there is a potential for poorly stored stock to obstruct fire doors, routes to exits, fire-fighting equipment, or signage. Safe storage is key here and should be taken into consideration throughout the festive period.
Flammable Christmas decorations
Retailers should therefore test any lighting or electrical equipment before it’s used
Pretty much every shop puts up festive decorations during the Christmas period, but many items, such as garlands, tinsel, and trees, are often made from combustible materials in readily ignitable forms.
When users combine this with lights and other seasonal electrical equipment, it can present an increased risk of fire. Especially if equipment is overloaded, old, damaged or poorly managed.
Retailers should, therefore, test any lighting or electrical equipment before it’s used and be mindful of where they hang flammable Christmas decorations.
Increased footfall
The festive period is a fantastic time for retailers as more customers flock to stores to get their Christmas shopping done. While this is great from a business perspective, increased sales mean increased footfall in the store, which can pose a fire risk.
The hustle and bustle and jostling for items can cause accidents, and with more customers in the shop, if a fire did occur, evacuation would be much more difficult and time-consuming.
Seasonal staff
There is a potential lack of fire risk awareness among these new employees or casual workers
Many shops hire new seasonal staff to cope with the demands of the busy Christmas period, but there is a potential lack of fire risk awareness among these new employees or casual workers, with many unfamiliar with a premises’ fire risk assessment, emergency plan, and fire safety procedures.
Retailers should ensure that all new staff are given thorough training, taken through health and safety procedures, and given refreshers when necessary.
Taking the above points into consideration, it’s vital that retailers take the time to review their full health and safety strategy, with particular attention to their fire risk assessment and emergency evacuation plan well in advance of Christmas so that, should the worst happen, they are prepared.
Fire risk assessments
At Total Fire Group, they help conduct fire risk assessments for shops and retail premises throughout the UK. With their help, fire risk assessments in shops don’t have to be exhausting, time-consuming, and difficult to accomplish.
Their BAFE-approved fire risk assessments can be done quickly yet thoroughly with their bespoke web-based software.
Specifically, their fire risk assessments for shops are ideal for managing multiple risk assessment actions across multiple locations. So, if users have more than one premises, they can see all their actions in one place and manage them in real time.
