Keeping you safe from fire for over 20 years. We are a mature company dedicated to keeping properties, businesses and residences safe from the risk of fires. Mark Palmer the Managing Director started his journey in the fire industry in 1996 leading to the inception of Help and Safety at Work Ltd in 2004. Over the span of 2 decades, we have built up knowledge and adapted to ensure we protect you in the best possible manner.
We are dedicated to providing exceptional services that prioritise convenience. Unlike call centres, you will always speak directly to one of our friendly staff members in the office. Our reports are tailored to each of your premises, ensuring compliance with fire and health & safety regulations. No matter the issue we will be more than happy to help.
Fires in England have been rising at a concerning rate, and hearing about a devastating fire every day is now common. Fire Safety should be a top priority for everyone. Leading investigations show evidence of hundreds of properties without sustainable fire protection. Having correct fire safety procedures, equipment and documents can significantly decrease the chance of a fire damaging the things you care about.
A Fire Risk Assessment is a legal requirement where people “work meet or gather”.
From 1st October 2023, ALL premises regardless of size and number of employees must conduct an up-to-date Fire Risk Assessment and it is required to record all of the findings.
The Fire Safety Order replaces previous legislation (from 2005) whereby you must complete a Fire Risk Assessment for the place in which you are responsible, and it must be deemed suitable and sufficient. This can be completed by a competent person on behalf of the Responsible Person because the level of expertise required may leave the Responsible Person vulnerable to prosecution. Completing a Fire Risk Assessment is NOT the responsibility of the Fire Brigade.
The Fire Safety Order states that you must ‘Review’ your Fire Risk Assessment. You need to make sure it is still a true reflection both in structure and layout, usage and the people that occupy the building. If several actions were raised in the previous Fire Risk Assessment, completing a ‘Review’ will check which issues are still relevant and if there are new challenges. Annual reviews would make the most sense.
Previously under the Fire Precautions Act (1971), the Fire Brigade would issue a Fire Certificate to signify the building was safe and all the requirements had been met. However, the current legislation is a deregulation and relies on you ensuring your building safety by using companies like us, although The Fire Brigade has great initiatives like ‘Test it Tuesday’ to help promote safety but ultimately the safety of a premises is down to the Responsible Person.
Annually, in accordance with BS5306 using competent engineers for the siting, installing, refilling, testing and maintenance of Fire Extinguishers.
Yes, you must be able to demonstrate an effective evacuation to ensure everybody knows what to do in an emergency. All buildings differ in type, size and occupancy so Fire Wardens must have special skills to ensure everyone can escape. Articles 21 and 22 of The Fire Safety Order state as much.
All staff should have induction training as stated, fire wardens should be trained for specialist duties. If the organisation and staffing levels remain the same, 3 yearly refresher training is not unreasonable but in reality, it should be more often than this. Your Fire Risk Assessment should state the routine of training.
Best practice is 6 monthly. However, different premises, shift patterns, and building layouts will dictate the routine. You should experiment in your fire drills as fire can be unpredictable and often some escapes are untenable. In any event, the timing of a full evacuation should be 2 minutes 30 seconds!
